After more than a decade, Barcelona is back in the competitive flames in the FIFA World Cup. And it's Lamine Yamal who's trailblazing the Spanish mantle.

The 18-year-old is no stranger to the public spotlight now, with his debut performance in the World Cup leaving jaws hanging wide open. So, how does he prepare for the challenge beyond the fields?

A reel posted by FC Barcelona, dated June 2, showed the soccer prodigy performing band-assisted movements for recovery and tissue repair. Yamal also hit some lighter bicep curls and deadlifts. Another previous video on May 22 showed a similar gym recovery routine.

Yamal is known to have a merciless training regimen, consistently mixing elements from tactical training and explosive power with strength training and core sessions.

That routine includes 4 days of workout a week, often multiple times a day. Given such brutal conditions, recovery becomes a non-negotiable, with the Spanish prospect performing zone 2 cardio, yoga, swimming, and gym sessions for recovery.

Yamal's road to recovery

Lamine Yamal was not waiting for the World Cup to come to him. He is working three hours a day to get there.

The Barcelona winger had suffered a muscle tear in late April that ruled him out for the remainder of La Liga's domestic season. However, Spain manager Luis de la Fuente had been watching the 18-year-old's recovery closely, and what he has seen has left him with genuine confidence that Yamal will be ready when it matters most.

"Apart from his great talent, he trains three hours a day, goes to the gym, visits his physio, his nutritionist, and his psychologist, and gives himself to his invisible training, which is the most important thing," said la Fuente via Goal.com.

And this apparently worked in his favor as Yamal, as he netted his first goal against Saudi Arabia, leading to Spain’s 4-0 victory.

What are your thoughts on Yamal’s progress? 

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Written by

Proma Chatterjee

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi