After much speculation, FC Barcelona has finally made it official: Lamine Yamal will wear the legendary number 10 jersey with immediate effect.
When Lamine Yamal extended his contract with FC Barcelona at the end of May until 2031, it remained unclear whether the 18-year-old’s achievements would be rewarded in any other way besides a significant salary increase – for example, with a new jersey number.
This is exactly what the Spanish champions have been hinting at over the past few weeks. Fans who wanted to purchase the new jersey with the youngster’s name on it from Barca’s online shop had to be patient for the time being: “To guarantee the best experience, you can purchase Lamine Yamal’s jersey. However, delivery will only take place after official confirmation of his jersey number (name and number). Thank you for your understanding,” said a corresponding message.
The Catalans had also come up with something special for the graphics, with the attacker’s shirt number appearing as “1?” in the preview window. As of Wednesday, it is now official that the question mark will be replaced by the number zero and Lamine Yamal will receive the legendary number 10, which was vacated following the departure of Ansu Fati.
“When I was little, it was my dream to play for Barcelona and wear the number 10. I am very grateful to the club for believing in me and giving me the number. Now I have to show who I am and that I am worthy of the number,” said Lamine Yamal.
Mural in recognition
Following the announcement, a mural was painted in the Mataró neighborhood where Lamine Yamal grew up. It shows the youngster wearing the number 10.
Since his debut in April 2023 (4-0 against Real Betis), the home-grown player has already made 106 competitive appearances for FC Barcelona’s professional team (25 goals, 34 assists) despite his young age. The left-footed player only swapped his previous number 19 for 27 at the start of the past season.
