An XI of still-active greats that were already full internationals before Lamine Yamal was born
On the 13th July 2007, Sheila Ebana—a waitress from Equatorial Guinea, and Mounir Nasraoui—a painter from Morocco, welcomed Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana into the world, and Paul the Octopus flung his tentacles to the sky, rejoicing at the birth of the prodigy who was promised in his cephalopod prophecies.
The octopus part isn’t true. Paul the Octopus (RIP) wasn’t born until 2008. The part about the birth of Barcelona’s Spanish/Equatoguinean/Moroccan Leo Messi regen is, though, and Messi himself was already a fully fledged international. Time is ruthless.
We’ve put together an XI of exceptional footballers who were playing international ball before Spain’s new juvenile king was even born, arranged in an uber-attacking 4-2-4 formation.
GK: Claudio Bravo
Incredibly, ex-Manchester City and Barcelona keeper Bravo made his debut for the Chilean senior team in 2004. Two-thousand-and-four A.D. He was 21 years old.
The man is still guarding the space between the sticks for Chile in 2024, at 41 years of age, although his club career is winding down a little—he’s playing second fiddle at Real Betis, these days.
To be fair, he’s kind of been a bit-part player since 2017 when he fell down the pecking order at City. Maybe that’s been the key to his longevity…
RB: James Milner
We’re cheating a bit with this one. Milner somehow didn’t make his senior England debut until 2009, almost seven years after his professional debut for boyhood club Leeds.
But spiritually Milner fits the billing here, having spent the mid-noughties as a prolific fixture of the Three Lions’ youth ranks.
He made no fewer than 46 appearances for the Under-21s and was hilariously named the PFA Young Player of the Year in 2010, eight years after he first broke onto the scene.
The ultimate utility man went on to win everything there is to win in English football with Manchester City and Liverpool, earning 61 caps for England between 2009 and 2016. He’s still going at Brighton and considerably older than his new manager. Weird dynamic, that.
CB: Jan Vertonghen
The Belgian veteran made his international debut just over a month before Yamal was born.
Vertonghen won Ajax Talent of the Year a.k.a. the Marco van Basten Award that same season, joining an exclusive club including Nwankwo Kanu, Rafael van der Vaart, Benni McCarthy, and Thomas Vermaelen.
The ex-Tottenham centre-half is now playing in his native Belgium for the first time in his senior career, in the purple of Anderlecht.
Fun fact: Vertonghen was born in a place called Sint-Niklaas, and his first youth club was Germinal Beerschot, who have a big white bear on their logo. A deeply Arctic man.
TRY A QUIZ: Can you name the 15 youngest players in European Championship history?
CB: Sergio Ramos
Ramos may have retired from international football in 2023, but he’s still imperial at the heart of Sevilla’s defence and his club career is still very much alive and kicking.
The legendary defender made his senior debut for Spain way back in 2005, when Yamal was no more than a distant dream in his father’s testicle sack.
Ramos won the World Cup and European Championship at right-back, and a silly amount of Champions Leagues at centre-back. Elite.
LB: Marcelo
Scored on his Brazil debut vs Wales at White Hart Lane about a month before Lamine Yamal’s conception. Marcelo stayed in the Brazil squad for twelve years and could easily have carried on, but wasn’t picked, inexplicably.
The legendary left-back is back at his boyhood club Fluminense now. He’s 36 years old. Enjoy him whilst you can, Fluminense fans.
FWR: Lionel Messi
Chief goat Leo Messi made his international debut in 2005. He replaced Lisandro Lopez in a friendly against Hungary, and got sent off one minute later for violent conduct. He’s done pretty well since then, to be fair to the lad.
As you can see in the image at the top of this article, Messi essentially blessed Yamal when the Spaniard was a baby, and Messi was already a couple of years into his international career. Decent idea for a business that, actually:
Footballers available for blessings. Better than cameo.
CM: Luka Modric
The maestro has been vital to Croatia’s national team since 2006, and has only grown in stature and importance since then.
To put things into perspective a little bit: Remember when Croatia beat England in the World Cup semifinals at Russia 2018? That was two days before Lamine Yamal’s 11th birthday…
How very, very f*cking hell.
READ NEXT: 2024 Puskas Award: Lamine Yamal enters contenders list with absolute stunner
TRY A QUIZ: Can you name the 20 youngest scorers in European Championship history?
CM: Andres Guardado
The Little Prince from Guadalajara also made his debut in 2005 against Hungary, just like Leo Messi. Guardado, however, managed not to get himself sent off. That’s 1-0 to the Mexican.
Guardado returned to Mexico to join Leon in January 2024, after leaving Real Betis by mutual consent.
The Mexican has one best full-back of the season, best offensive player of the season, and best offensive midfielder of the season in various leagues. A versatile king.
FWL: Alexis Sanchez
The Chilean legend had already made the move to Europe, making his name at Udinese in Serie A, before Yamal had graced this Earth with his presence.
Sanchez had also played for his country 20 times in the pre-Yamal era. The Chilean has just fulfilled a one-year contract at Inter, and is still playing at the highest level. Some player.
ST: Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo was 47 games into his Portugal career as Lamine burst onto the scene—the scene being life. He’d already lost the Euro 2004 final to Greece, in that Nike Total 90 era kit with the numbers in the circles.
The bloke is still playing for Portugal at 39 and doesn’t seem intent on retiring before the next World Cup. His contract at Al-Nassr doesn’t expire until 2025, but it wouldn’t shock us if he just kept playing forever.
Just Ronaldo and some massive mutant cockroaches knocking a ball about at the end of the world.
ST: Luis Suarez
El Pistolero made his Uruguay debut against Colombia five months before Yamal came into the world and similarly to his old (and current) teammate Messi, he got sent off.
Suarez started the match and lasted 85 minutes playing as an attacking midfielder before he was given his marching orders—a second yellow for dissent.
Start as you mean to go on and all that…
