Lamine Yamal’s dad shares why he won’t watch him play live in the World Cup final against Argentina.
Lamine Yamal’s dad has shared why he won’t be at the World Cup final to watch his son play.
Yamal, who helped Spain win the Euros two years ago, will face Lionel Messi and Argentina in one of the biggest football matches ever, held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
At just 19, Yamal has risen quickly and now has an amazing chance to become a teen world champion if Spain beats Argentina, who want to be the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups.
Yamal has already played seven games in this tournament in North America and made history as the second-youngest player to score in a World Cup match when he scored against Saudi Arabia.
His younger brother, Keyne, has become a fan favorite in the stands, often catching the camera’s attention.
But Yamal’s dad, Mounir Nasraoui, hasn’t been at any of Spain’s games this World Cup—and that won’t change for the final. He explained it’s because he has epilepsy and can’t fly long distances easily.
Nasraoui needs to take five pills every day to control his seizures, so traveling is tough for him. He was able to be there when Yamal won the Euros in Berlin and also showed support at the Ballon d’Or ceremony.
He told The Mirror: “I have epilepsy and take a lot of medicine every day. I could have a seizure from stress or emotion without knowing it. So it’s important to think carefully. Before traveling, I have to think about myself, about Lamine, and everyone around us. I might cause problems, so it’s better to stay home and watch from here.”
Mounir has been honest about his condition on Instagram, talking about facing hate and how people sometimes take advantage of him because of his illness.
He was even stabbed in a parking lot about a month after Lamine’s Euro win but continues to support his son from afar.
Mounir became a father young, moving from Morocco after Lamine’s grandmother, Fatima, came to Spain in secret without papers. She worked many shifts to save enough money to bring Mounir and his sister from Morocco to join her in Catalonia.
Lamine shared on the Fundacion Jose Ramon de la Morena podcast: “My father arrived when he was three, and my mother came when she was very young. My father’s mother came first, sneaking onto a bus, stopping in different cities, until she reached Mataro. She worked all day and night to save money to bring my dad and his sister here.”
Even with all his success, Lamine stays close to his family and never forgets the sacrifices they made so he could succeed. While he plays for Spain, he proudly honors his Moroccan and Equatorial Guinean roots—with the flags of both countries on his boots.