Barcelona's 19-year-old star Lamine Yamal surprised his girlfriend, content creator Ines Garcia, by ploughing on with intensive training sessions during his summer holiday in Saint-Tropez, France. Barely a week had passed since his well-earned break began following his crowning as world champion with Spain. The scene captured the commitment of an exceptional player, one who wants to lead Barcelona to a Champions League title that has eluded them for 11 years.
Garcia posted the moment to her Instagram account, followed by more than 4 million people. She had gone for a massage session at the luxury hotel where they are staying on the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur coast. On her way back to the room, she was stunned to find Yamal grinding away in the gym. "I went for a massage and found this," she wrote in astonishment.
That was not the only scene to catch the eye of the Sevillian influencer. A few days later she shared another photo of the Barcelona number 10 training on a pitch, adding sarcastically: "We're not really the type to spend our holiday this way," a nod to her boyfriend preparing for the new season even during his time off.
Yamal had begun his holiday only a week earlier, after an exceptional World Cup he crowned with victory alongside La Roja. He first travelled to Ibiza with his national team teammates Ferran Torres and Marcos Llorente, before moving on to Saint-Tropez for a romantic getaway with Garcia, who had accompanied him on a trip to Greece at the start of last May.
The couple chose to stay away from the media buzz in the quiet French town in the Var department. Even so, Yamal was keen to impress his partner on arrival, decorating the room with roses, as Garcia revealed on her account.
The romantic gestures did not dent the son of Rocafonda's focus on football. Despite achieving one of his major goals at just 19, the young star appears to have set his sights on an even greater challenge for the new season: returning the UEFA Champions League title to Barcelona after an 11-year absence, since the Catalan club last ruled the continent in 2015.