Spanish teenage prodigy Lamine Yamal is slated to make his World Cup debut this summer. Aside from leading La Roja to the winner’s trophy, of course, the superstar forward has one main mission: to carve out his own identity.Towards that end, Yamal has done exceptionally well at the domestic level, quickly becoming the superstar of Barcelona since joining the club in 2023 as the youngest player (15 years and nine months old) to ever debut for the senior team.Among the many other records he has since broken, the Catalan has dominated La Liga, most recently notching 16 goals and 11 assists this season to lead Barcelona to its second-consecutive league title. For his efforts, he won the first-ever Young Sportsperson of the Year award at the Laureus World Sports Awards in late April, establishing himself as the best athlete under the age of 21 and marking back-to-back honors following his win of Breakthrough Sportsperson of the Year in 2025. Yamal has also lit up the big stage for La Roja, earning Young Player of the Tournament honors at Euro 2024, which Spain won. The youngster may be taking Spain by storm—and much of Europe, for that matter—but the World Cup introduces many new, and oftentimes more casual, fans from all over the globe to the sport every four years. It is something Yamal deeply appreciates about the tournament, but it also means that as he makes his debut, he will be a relatively new figure, with the opportunity to set himself apart.“Ever since I was a kid, [the World Cup] has been the one tournament everyone watches,” he said in an interview with FIFA. “That’s what makes it special. Even if you’re not into football, your country is playing and suddenly everyone is out in the streets, watching together. That’s the beauty of the game. It gives me goosebumps to think I’ll be part of it.”Yamal’s Mission for the World CupDe la Fuente must manage Yamal’s injury carefully at the World Cup. | Rene Nijhuis/MB Media/Getty ImagesAmid his rapid ascendancy, Yamal has often been compared to the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappé and Neymar, all of whom have dominated at soccer’s grandest tournament and will represent their countries this summer.Although Yamal has been outspoken about his respect for those legendary players, especially Messi, his goal this summer is to set himself apart from them.“My goal isn’t to be compared to them; it’s to be mentioned alongside them,” he said. “So ... my name will be in that group.“If you get caught up comparing yourself to others, you can shoot yourself in the foot,” he added. “I want to find my own way, enjoy the game and give people something to smile about. And when I’m retired, I hope people still enjoy going back and watching me play.”Yamal is currently in a race against time to be fully fit for the tournament, having suffered a hamstring injury back on April 22, sidelining him for the remainder of Barcelona’s season. Spain manager Luis de la Fuente plans to exercise caution during Yamal’s recovery; however, he is expected to be ready come the start of the World Cup. Spain is set to compete in Group H, opening play against Cape Verde on June 15, before clashing with Saudi Arabia and Uruguay. Ranked No. 2 globally as of Tuesday, the European powerhouses are heavy favorites to win out this summer.READ THE LATEST WORLD CUP NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FCAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow