Yamal on fixture congestion: "I'm the opposite – I finish a match and I just want to play again"

Another international break brings Lamine Yamal back into the Spain squad, a dressing room where he thrived during the Euros. He still exudes the joy of a youngster, but when it comes to football—both at club and international level—he takes things seriously.

He hopes for a strong year with Barcelona and sees Real Madrid as the main obstacle to achieving everything, particularly in a potential Champions League final in Munich. He made this clear in his interview with AS.

Yamal truly announced himself at the Euros, particularly with that stunning goal against France that dazzled Europe. "There's a before and after with that goal. Until that moment, I was taking things more steadily, thinking that at just 16 my role was to contribute. But after that, I realised I could do more, help more, and be an important player capable of stepping up in key moments," the Spanish international revealed.

"The Champions League has fascinated me since I was a kid, listening to the anthem on TV. Imagine getting home late on a Tuesday after training with the youth team and switching on the TV. Hearing the anthem live for the first time was like being inside FIFA. It was an incredible feeling, just like at the Euros," he admitted.

To win both La Liga and the Champions League, he expects Madrid to be the biggest challenge. "La Liga will go to the team that slips up the least. Both Barcelona and Madrid are world-class teams, we rarely drop points, and we're both in good form.

"El Clasico in May will be huge. But sometimes titles are decided by unexpected setbacks, like when we dropped points against Betis and Leganes in December. We've reached March level on points, though we have a game in hand. That's why El Clasico could be decisive. And the Champions League? As long as Barcelona are in the final, I don't mind who we face, but it'll be even more special if it's Madrid. It would be unforgettable," he stated.

Just days after Real Madrid—particularly Carlo Ancelotti—publicly criticised the tight scheduling and the infamous 72-hour turnaround between matches, Lamine offered his own perspective: "Young players just want to play and enjoy it—nothing else even crosses our minds. Football isn't just our job, it's what we love to do, and I have no complaints. The 72-hour rule works the opposite way for me—I finish a game and I'm already itching to play again."