Despite being only 17 years of age, Lamine Yamal has no doubt been Spain’s one of the best players in Euro 2024. With 1 goal and an impressive 3 assists, the Barcelona star has helped the Spanish side reach the Euro final where they are set to face a tough England side. While Yamal’s feats at such a young age have no doubt been impressive, his age has also been a huge problem for Spain.

There is a chance the forward might not play the full match against England. Even if he does play, Spain will have to face consequences in the form of a hefty fine. So let’s take a look at why playing Yamal has such repercussions.

The law Spain can break by playing Lamine Yamal

The reason that Spain could be slapped with a hefty fine has to do with the host nation Germany’s laws. Per Germany’s labor laws, individuals under the age of 18 are prohibited from working past 8 PM. Notably, an exception exists for athletes, who are permitted to work until 11 PM.

For the upcoming Euro final between England and Spain, scheduled to commence at 9 PM local German time, this regulation becomes particularly pertinent. Lamine Yamal is consequently limited to participating in up to only 90 minutes of the match and must be substituted before that interval expires. Should the match extend into overtime or involve penalty shootouts, these laws restrict young talents like Yamal from taking further part.

Despite this legal stipulation, Spain may desire to retain their talented 17-year-old on the field during any potential overtime scenarios. In such instances where regulations are not adhered to, Spain faces a monetary penalty ranging from approximately $32,000 to $32,500 per infringement. Historically, Spain has been fined for two previous matches: notably during their Round of 16 encounter with Georgia and their semi-final against France when Yamal was not timely substituted.

Given these circumstances and considering the significance of this crucial final match in the competition, it is plausible that Spain might choose to incur another fine as opposed to removing Yamal prematurely. Adding complexity to this matter is a recent controversy suggesting that Lamine Yamal’s actual age may be misrepresented; allegations claim he is actually 19 years old rather than his stated age of 17.

Has the Spain teenage star forged his age?

Just a few months ago a social media post regarding Yamal went viral. The post showed a 10-year-old Lamine Yamal who was part of Barcelona’s youth academy in 2015. With basic maths, it would mean that the Spaniard should be 19 years old currently and heading towards his 19th birthday.

Shortly after these rumors picked up heat, fan investigation started to find out the real truth. Many claimed that the photo was from 2017 and not 2015. Yamal himself has also joked about this whole ordeal when he responded to a social media post that claimed he was not 16 at that time. The teen star jokingly wrote, “I am 16. Or not. I am 30.” So far with no concrete evidence the whole claim of Lamine Yamal’s real age being 17 seems to be a baseless rumor only.

What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.