At nineteen years old, Lamine Yamal is about to play the most important final of his career. But before the match on 19 July becomes history, a sports psychologist has issued a warning: success and pressure can ruin the young talent if not managed correctly. And this is not just about tactics or fitness, but something far more fragile: his mental balance.

The pressure of being a child prodigy

Following Spain's 2-0 victory against France, the Spanish national team returns to a World Cup final sixteen years after winning the trophy in South Africa 2010. Lamine Yamal will be one of the faces of this historic achievement, alongside Nico Williams and Pedri. However, as revealed by diezminutos.es, psychologist Andrés Montero warns that the environment can turn the young international into an unsustainable burden of expectations.

"One thing is recognising that he can be decisive and unbalancing, and quite another is expecting him to solve every match," explains the expert. When a footballer emerges so early—as Yamal has done by winning the league with Barcelona—there is a risk of forgetting he is barely a teenager and turning the extraordinary into an inhuman obligation.

Disconnecting is training

Montero proposes a solution that sounds simple, but which many forget: mental rest is just as important as any physical training session. Before such a momentous occasion, the psychologist recommends that Yamal set aside hours for activities completely removed from football.

• Listening to music
• Watching a series or film
• Playing a video game
• Going for a walk
• Spending time with trusted people

"You cannot be at maximum concentration all day long. That would exhaust and burn out anyone," the expert assures. The key is that no one treats him like a star during those hours, but simply as what he is: a nineteen-year-old boy.

The crucial role of family

In this regard, Yamal has an advantage: he is accompanied by his mother and younger brother at the team base, although his father has not been able to travel due to health problems. Montero stresses that the close circle is fundamental precisely because "they are not going to treat him like a star but like an equal, and that will help take the pressure off him".

The presence of people who know him from before fame, who do not idolise him or place the entire weight of a complete team on his shoulders, becomes a psychological factor just as relevant as any tactical work on the pitch.

A message to those around him

Montero also directs his words to fans and those around the player: there is a crucial difference between recognising Lamine Yamal's extraordinary talent and turning him into Spain's messiah. The difference between greatness and destructive pressure is often just a matter of expectation.

The question that remains is whether those around him will listen to this advice before the unbridled euphoria of a World Cup final sweeps everything away. Sometimes, protecting young geniuses means letting them be, simply, young.