Lamine Yamal is his name, but not his full name.
Lamine Yamal is known worldwide by just two names — but his full name tells a remarkable story of generosity.
The Barcelona and Spain superstar’s full name is Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana. The double-barrelled surname comes from his parents — Mounir Nasraoui, originally from Morocco, and Shaila Ebana, from Equatorial Guinea, who met after both immigrated to Barcelona.
- Lamine – means honest or trustworthy in Arabic
- Yamal – means beautiful or good fortune in Arabic
- Nasraoui – his father Mounir’s Moroccan surname
- Ebana – his mother Shaila’s Equatoguinean surname
But the origin of his first name, Lamine Yamal, is the most heartwarming part.
When Ebana fell pregnant, the couple were unable to pay rent and feared losing their home. Their landlords in Catalunya allowed them to stay out of pure generosity, asking for nothing in return.
The Lamine Yamal story
Cadena SER editor Sique Rodríguez revealed: “They couldn’t pay the rent because they had no money and Munir promised them that if one day they had a child, he would name the child after them.”
Nasraoui kept that promise — and named his son after both landlords combined. In Arabic, the names mean honest and beautiful.
The landlords’ act of charity has since been repaid in extraordinary fashion — the child they housed for free is now one of the most famous footballers on the planet.
The charity has since been returned in sorts by Munir, as a local bar owner Juan Carlos Serrano recently revealed one moment in 2023.
“Iván de la Peña, who was his agent at the time, called him to tell him he’d been called up to play with the first team,” he recalled.
“His father grabbed his shirt, went over to that table, and started crying. Then he went home and brought me the jersey.
“He told me, ‘Keep it, put it there because my son will come to sign it and you’ll have a treasure,’ and that’s exactly what happened.”
Despite separating when Lamine was just three years old, Nasraoui and Ebana have remained close and have achieved celebrity status of their own.
Nasraoui was a constant presence in Germany as his son starred in Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph, while Ebana made global headlines when she revealed a charity photoshoot Lamine had with Lionel Messi as a baby.
What is Lamine Yamal’s full name?
Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana. His double-barrelled surname reflects his mixed heritage — Nasraoui from his Moroccan father and Ebana from his Equatoguinean mother.
What does Lamine Yamal mean in Arabic?
Lamine means honest or trustworthy and Yamal means right hand or good fortune. His parents named him after their generous landlords who allowed them to stay in their home rent-free when they couldn’t pay.
Where is Lamine Yamal from?
Lamine Yamal was born in Esplugues de Llobregat near Barcelona, Spain. His father Mounir Nasraoui is from Morocco and his mother Shaila Ebana is from Equatorial Guinea — both immigrated to Barcelona where they met.
Why does Lamine Yamal play for Spain and not Morocco?
Although his father is Moroccan and his mother is from Equatorial Guinea, Lamine Yamal was born in Spain and chose to represent the Spanish national team. He made his senior debut for Spain at 15 years old.
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