Regragui Accepts Yamal Choice as Spain Star Sets Barcelona Records

Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal continues to attract attention for his performances at club and international level, while former Morocco coach Walid Regragui has acknowledged the teenager's decision to represent Spain. In remarks published October 20, 2026, Regragui expressed regret over Morocco's unsuccessful efforts to recruit the winger but recognized that Yamal's international career has progressed successfully.

Yamal, who has Moroccan roots, chose Spain rather than the Moroccan national team. Regragui discussed the decision during an appearance on Canal+ while analyzing Barcelona's UEFA Champions League meeting with Paris Saint-Germain, according to Ysscores.

Regragui said Morocco had made substantial efforts to persuade the Barcelona player to represent the country but ultimately respected his decision.

"We did everything we could to convince Lamine Yamal, but his choice was to represent Spain." Regragui said.

The former Morocco coach also acknowledged Yamal's achievements with Spain, expressing regret that the player had not selected the Atlas Lions while emphasizing the importance of communicating an international decision clearly and honestly.

Yamal's club performances have reinforced his standing among football's leading young talents. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick described the winger as the world's leading player after his influential display in a 5-2 victory over Real Betis at La Cartuja, according to Yahoo Sports.

Flick highlighted Yamal's opening goal, commitment, and ability to perform despite the pressure of playing regularly at 19.

"When you see the first goal he scored, it's incredible; right now he is the best player in the world. I am very happy with his performance and that is what I want to say. Of course, he has pressure, he is 19 years old and has played every game, but he is 100% focused and committed and he is very good, his performance has been incredible and his attitude, and that is how great players are." Flick said.

The Barcelona manager also explained why he substituted Yamal after the winger's strong performance against Betis, emphasizing his satisfaction with the player's contribution.

"With this result, we had to change him, it was clear, and I told him that I was very proud because he had played a fantastic game." Flick added.

Barcelona's victory strengthened the team's position near the top of the La Liga table, but defensive injuries created uncertainty ahead of the next European fixture against Paris Saint-Germain. Eric Garcia and Gerard Martin were withdrawn against Betis, while Jules Kounde was also dealing with minor problems.

Flick said the medical assessments and recovery process would determine his available lineup, with the club facing a demanding schedule that also included the approaching El Clasico. He stressed the need to manage playing time while waiting for further information on the injured defenders.

"For the moment the most important thing is to recover. Recovery is very important and seeing how we manage the minutes on Tuesday. We'll see, we'll look for 11 players.

We don't know what will happen with Eric, Kounde has small problems, Gerard too, we'll have to see. We have two more days and we'll see what happens on Tuesday. We have to wait for the medical results."

Flick explained.

Flick also credited Barcelona's work on set pieces and the competition within the squad for helping produce strong performances. He pointed to the importance of scoring before halftime against Betis and praised the staff responsible for the team's set-piece preparation.

"It is important to have that strength at set pieces. I'm happy to have scored the second goal before the break, it was important. We work on it and Heiko and Dela do a good job." Flick said.

Despite Barcelona's run of victories and goalscoring achievements, Flick said winning trophies remained more important than setting records.

"It's nice about the records, but we want to win titles and achieve bigger things, that's why we play football." Flick said.

Statistics published by Al Jazeera on October 15 showed Yamal had scored eight goals and supplied nine assists in 10 Barcelona matches across all competitions during the opening eight weeks of the club season. His 17 goal contributions exceeded Lionel Messi's 14 during his first 10 matches of the 2008-09 season and Kylian Mbappe's 16 in his first 10 matches as a 19-year-old at Paris Saint-Germain.

Yamal had also scored seven La Liga goals, a tally greater than the combined team totals recorded individually by Valencia, Getafe, and Malaga in the league figures cited by Al Jazeera. His performances have prompted comparisons with Messi, although the broader differences between their careers remain significant.

Yamal has spoken about his admiration for Messi, recalling their meeting during the 2026 World Cup final, when Spain defeated Argentina. The pair exchanged an embrace after the match, continuing a connection that began when Messi met Yamal as a five-month-old baby during a UNICEF fundraising photo shoot at Camp Nou in 2007.

"I said thank you for everything you gave football," Yamal told a British newspaper.

Flick had previously praised Yamal following Barcelona's 4-1 victory over Galatasaray in Istanbul, highlighting the forward's creativity in training and his influence during matches.

"When you see the chances Lamine creates in every training session, it's the same in matches. I have a lot of top-quality players. Everyone's watching Lamine – that's only natural." Flick said.

The Barcelona coach also credited the young forward with changing the course of matches through his individual quality.

"It's incredible to have players like that; he's turned the game around for us." Flick said.