FC Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal’s father received many insults over his decision to choose Spain over Morocco at international level.
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FC Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal’s father “had to endure many insults from Moroccans for choosing Spain” according to guests that feature in a new MARCA documentary ‘Forged: Cradle of Champions’.
Born to parents of Equitorial Guinean and Moroccan descent, Lamine was on the radars of both his father’s country Morocco and his own birthland Spain since emerging as a La Masia prospect.
Ultimately, though, Lamine chose to represent Spain. At the age of 16 while turning 17 in Germany, he’s already been a protagonist in a major tournament win at the European Championships in 2024.
Lamine scored a sensational equaliser against France in the semifinal and provided an assist for Nico Williams to open their country’s account in the final won at England’s expense.
And with Lamine now on the verge of playing his first World Cup amid a batle to shake off the hamstring injury that ended his club season, MARCA has travelled to his neighbourhood.
Rocafonda is a barrio in Mataro, the capital of the Marsesme region around 20 miles east of Barcelona city centre.
“He was different, he had something special,” said someone from the neighbourhood, as well as explaining that his father “had to endure many insults from Moroccans for choosing Spain”.
Lamine Yamal’s choice has always been a hot topic
Though this is unconfirmed speculation, it has been rumoured that the dispute which led to Lamine’s father being stabbed in August 2024 was related to an argument that broke out over international allegiances.
In March 2025, ex-director of football with the Spanish national team, Albert Luque, revealed on the Cadena SER radio program El Larguero how Lamine’s Yamal’s father remarked they “were going to kill him” in Morocco after Lamine opted for La Roja.
“It wasn’t an easy case. The Morocco coach came expressly [to Lamine’s entourage] and the Moroccan government tried to convince him,” Luque recalled.
“And when we spoke to him he told me: ‘I want to be European champion, they are pressuring me from all sides but I want to play with Spain’. This was before he debuted.
“The father was more complicated. He told me that in Morocco they were going to kill him. He told me some things that it is better not to talk about. His mother is the person Lamine has to lean on the most. She asked me if I wanted him to be with Spain and I lied to her, I told her that it was because he was very prepared and not because of [the threat from] Morocco,” Luque added.
For young Moroccans growing up in Spain, this is a tricky dilemma. While some such as Lamine opted for their country of birth, we’ve seen Madrid-born Paris Saint-Germain full back Achraf Hakimi become Morocco captain.
Elsewhere in the Spanish capital, Real Madrid attacker Brahim Diaz was initially called up by Spain but then switched to Morocco.
He was arguably the Atlas Lions’ best player at the AFCON earlier in 2026 despite missing a bizarre penalty in the final. Though in controversial circumstances, hosts Morocco have since been crowned champions after Senegal were stripped of the title.