Key Points
Young Barca winger dreams of Champions League triumph
Prioritizes team success over personal accolades
Sees intense rivalry with Real Madrid as season's highlight
Childhood passion for European football drives ambition
"The first thing is for Barca to win titles, and everything else will follow," said Yamal in an interview with Spanish sports paper, Diario AS, adding the Balon d'Or was "something that usually comes with team titles."
He said winning the "Champions League with Barca and the World Cup with Spain" were his "two biggest dreams."
The youngster predicted a close battle in the closing weeks against Real Madrid as reported by Xinhua.
"It's nearly always Barca-Madrid at the end of the day. Atletico (Madrid) make it difficult and I'm not giving them up as finished yet, but at the end it's always (Real) Madrid and Barca who are left, and the same in the Copa del Rey and Champions League," he commented.
Yamal also spoke about his special affinity for the Champions League, where Barcelona plays against Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals.
"It's a competition that has captivated me since I heard the Champions League anthem on TV when I was a child. Imagine coming home late on a Tuesday after training with the youth team, turning on the TV with my parents, and watching the European Cup. It's something very special," said Yamal, who was reluctant to talk about negotiations over his new contract, with his current deal due to expire at the end of June 2026.
"I don't think anyone is thinking about that at the moment: we're all focused on finishing the season with titles, we are in the decisive stretch of the season, and that's all I'm thinking about. I won't talk about the (contract) renewal until the end of the season," assured Yamal.
