- Adu made his MLS debut at 14
- Yamal broke through with Barca at 15
- Told how to keep career on track
La Masia academy graduate Yamal has caused a stir since making his senior debut for Barca at just 15 years of age. He has come a long way in a short space of time, becoming a بطولة أوروبا and La Liga title winner before turning 18.
He has now passed that notable birthday, signing a new contract and inheriting Barca’s fabled No.10 shirt, and continues to generate a buzz on and off the field. Yamal is learning quickly that his every move will be dissected in minute detail.
Adu once found himself in a similar position, with the ex-متحد States international – who was billed as the next Pele after making his MLS bow at 14 – able to offer important words of wisdom to Yamal.
Adu, speaking on football odds, has said: “So obviously all eyes are on him all the time, and that’s hard. That’s really hard. For me personally, I couldn’t just be a regular kid, and this is coming from someone in America and in the States, football isn’t even the biggest sport here! Yet I was going through that.
“I can’t even imagine how it is for him over there in إسبانيا. It’s probably just magnified 1000 times, because that is the وطني sport. He plays for the biggest team, it’s the national sport, everywhere he goes, everything he does; all eyes are on him. And that’s hard. As a young player, when you’re put in a situation like that, it’s just very, very difficult to handle.
“My advice would be for him to just put his head down, train and just focus on his craft. Because there will be a lot of distractions. And I’m sure there is right now. I mean, there’s been some stuff in the newspapers that I’ve seen where he was with a woman that was way older than he was or whatever, on vacation and whatnot, and everybody’s talking about it. Every little thing he does is going to be talked about.”
Yamal made headlines in the summer of 2025 when holidaying with 29-year-old OnlyFans model Fati Vazquez. Adu added on the need to make better lifestyle choices: “If you’re going to go on holiday with an older woman just make sure the only person you go with is your mother! Because at this point, no matter what you do it’s going to get talked about, and it’s a lot of distractions. So you don’t want to let that become your whole narrative surrounding you as a player. You don’t want that. You wanted to be focused on the field.
“When I was young, I made a lot of mistakes. I was young, and I made mistakes. I hung out with some friends and somebody took a picture of me out at a party or whatever, and it became a big deal. I didn’t think it was, but it became a big deal. And then the narrative becomes that you’re not focused on your game, that you’re just out here hanging out with your friends and party.”
Yamal makes no apologies for enjoying himself away from the field, having seemingly linked up with Argentine rapper Nicki Nicole. As long as he continues to produce positive performances on the pitch, putting himself in Ballon d’Or contention, then a deaf ear and blind eye can be turned to any detractors.
