As Spain's soccer prodigy steps into the global spotlight, he stays rooted in his multi-dimensional heritage.

Madrid

Lamine Yamal, an 18-year-old soccer player for Barcelona, has rapidly risen to international prominence, finishing second in the Ballon d'Or and being recognized for his dynamic play. He is widely regarded as a potential successor to Lionel Messi and represents a new, diverse generation in Spanish football, with roots in Morocco, Equatorial Guinea, and Spain.

Yamal's story reflects the broader transformation of Spain, shaped by significant immigration in recent years. As he prepares for his World Cup debut in 2026, Yamal emphasizes the importance of honesty and personal authenticity, aspiring to be a positive role model for young fans.

Spanish soccer star Lamine Yamal: "The face of the new Spain"

60 Minutes Overtime. This week on 60 Minutes, we profile Laminia Mall, an ascending soccer player from Spain. Laminia Mall just finished second in the Ballon d'Or, soccer's equivalent of the MVP vote, and he is 18 years old. He is a dynamic, dynastic player for Barca, for Barcelona in La Liga, but has already achieved this measure of global fame. Lionel Messi's in his late 30s, and when you look for potential heirs, here is a player who's probably the top contender. Barca, for Barcelona, this is one of the great seminal franchises, clubs of global soccer. History is more than 125 years old, and how austere and esteemed is this club? Next to the stadium, there is a museum dedicated solely to the team. Imagine Cooperstown right next to Yankee Stadium. Guillem Balaguey was our tour guide. He's an esteemed Spanish soccer journalist, lives near Barcelona. He's also Lionel Messi's biographer, so no better person to give us the context of what Laminia Mall is doing in soccer. The inevitable comparisons from Laminia Mall and Messi, what do you make of those? Let's use the words of Laminia Mall when he says, you know, this goal and score that was brilliant against Bruges recently, Messi scored 1,000. I did it once, he did it 1,000 times. That's it. Still a long way. Can he do it? He's got a lot of potential to get there, certainly looks like out of this generation the player that could get there, we'll see. It's a cliche to say he never forgot where he came from. In the case of Laminia Mall, it's literal. He plays in these soccer boots, these soccer cleats, these Adidas shoes, and you can see they come adorned with the flag of Morocco, the country of his father. Ironically enough, the country that beat Spain in the previous World Cup. They have Equatorial Guinea, which is his mother's home nation. He was born in Spain, but he also has 304, which is the postal code of Rocafonda, this immigrant enclave north of Barcelona. So every time he puts on his soccer shoes, he has this sort of three-pronged reminder of where he comes from. He's the face of New Spain. Some people like it. It's a nation of many nations with the richness of immigration, and others will put it against him if things go wrong. This phrase we hear, the New Spain, what does that mean? It means that we thought we were, in a certain way, a nation of nations, Catalans, Basques, people from the Galicia. We have different languages, different cultures. But now, with the influx of immigration, which in the last 15 years has been huge, it's transformed the way we look. Laminia Mall already exists on this global stage, but American soccer fans may get the chance to see him in person. The U.S. will host the World Cup in 2026, along with Mexico and Canada, the first time since the mid-'90s the World Cup has been hosted here. He's excited to be making his World Cup debut, but he also told me he's excited to be really coming to this stage of North America as well. What are your expectations for your first World Cup? You're only 18, but you've spoken a few times now about how you want to be perceived by kids. How do you want to be perceived by kids? In the world of football, and sports in general, and popular people, I think there are very few honest people. Above all, I want them to see me as an honest person who says what he thinks or what he wants to hear. A person who cares about his own life, and I think that's very important. A person who just wants to enjoy life, who, in the end, if he has this life, tries to enjoy it to the fullest. I don't think about what others might say about that. I value what I have, and above all, I want people to see me as a person, not just talking to you. I want people to know me personally, and to see how I am.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner in the Kremlin on Tuesday (December 2) for talks on a possible way to end the deadliest European conflict since World War Two.

Moscow

Ukraine Invasion

Putin meets Trump envoys Witkoff, Kushner for Ukraine peace talks

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday that the deadly boat strikes in the region near Venezuela and Colombia have "only just begun." This comes as Republicans and Democrats in Congress question the legality of the military action.

Washington

Hegseth defends boat strikes near Venezuela during Cabinet meeting

President Vladimir Putin has hailed what his commanders told him was the full Russian capture of the city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine as an important victory after a prolonged campaign, saying it would help Moscow fulfil its wider war aims.

Pokrovsk

Russia claims control of Pokrovsk

Major rescue and recovery efforts are underway across Southeast Asia after a series of severe storms battered the region displacing millions and killing more than 1,100 people.

Nuwara Eliya

Severe storms batter Southeast Asia, displacing millions

Honduras’ presidential race is too close to call, with Nasry Asfura and Salvador Nasralla nearly tied at just under 40% each as technical glitches delay official results.

Tegucigalpa

Asfura, Nasralla in tight battle for Honduras presidency

Airbus must inspect hundreds of its A320 jets for potential quality flaws in the plane's body as a total of 628 aircraft contain panels that may be too thick or too thin due to a manufacturing issue at a supplier.

Blagnac

Airbus to inspect hundreds of A320s for defective panels

U.S. President Trump warns against actions that could ‘interfere with Syria’s evolution’ amid new Israeli incursions and strikes.

Damascus

Syria demands Israel withdraw amid escalating cross-border incursions

The White House confirmed it authorized a second airstrike on an alleged Venezuelan drug boat in September, but denied it ordered everyone on board be killed, which would be considered a war crime.

U.S. authorization of second strike of Venezuelan ship questioned

Monday is World AIDS Day. It has been recognized globally since 1988, but this year, the U.S. government is not commemorating it for the first time.

U.S. not recognizing World AIDS Day this year

Operation "Swamp Sweep," a monthslong immigration crackdown centered in New Orleans, is set to begin Monday. CBS News national reporter Kati Weis has the details.

New Orleans

Immigration enforcement operation set to begin in New Orleans

Luigi Mangione, the man charged with murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, was in a New York City courtroom on Monday for a pre-trial hearing focused on what evidence the jury will see. CBS News' Anna Schecter has the details.

New York

Luigi Mangione's lawyers seek to toss evidence in state murder case

West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey said Monday that Andrew Wolfe, the second National Guardsman shot in Washington, D.C., last week, has woken up from an induced coma.

National Guardsman injured in shooting has woken up from coma

Lawmakers are questioning the massive mobilization in the Caribbean as President Trump announced airlines and pilots should consider "the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela to be closed in its entirety." It comes amid new controversy over the strikes on suspected Venezuelan drug boats that has some lawmakers raising questions over whether the Pentagon committed a war crime.

Caracas

Pentagon 'may have' committed war crime amid questions over drug boats

Steve Witkoff, one of President Trump's key envoys helping negotiate a peace proposal between Russia and Ukraine, is set to meet with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, the Kremlin says. CBS News' Ramy Inocencio reports.

Trump envoy set to meet with Putin in Moscow, Russia confirms

Russian missiles and drones continue to hit Ukrainian cities even as U.S. negotiators try to broker a deal between the two countries. Some Ukrainians have expressed anger over President Trump's original peace plan put forward last month, saying it does not guarantee their safety.

Kyiv

Ukrainians express anger over Trump peace proposal as strikes continue

Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last December, is set to appear in court for hearings on evidence for his upcoming trial. CBS News' Katrina Kaufman reports.

Luigi Mangione headed to court on what evidence should be allowed

Thousands rallied outside President Isaac Herzog’s residence in Tel Aviv, urging him to reject a pardon request from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces fraud charges. Demonstrators held signs demanding accountability and warned that approval could undermine justice in Israel.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Protests in Tel Aviv after Netanyahu seeks pardon in fraud cases

The Ukrainian delegation met with U.S. officials in Miami on Sunday ahead of scheduled talks between the U.S. and Russian officials, including Vladimir Putin, later this week.

Miami

Rubio calls U.S.-Ukraine talks productive but says more work ahead

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu submitted a formal pardon request in his long-running corruption cases to the Israeli president. Herzog says he will "sincerely consider the request."

Netanyahu asks president to grant him pardon from corruption charges

Two men and two women from the Paris region have been taken into custody in connection with the theft at the Louvre last month, prosecutors said.

Paris

Four more suspects arrested over Louvre jewelery heist

Entire areas of Sri Lanka's capital were flooded on Sunday after a powerful cyclone triggered heavy rains and mudslides across the island, with authorities reporting nearly 200 dead and dozens more missing.

Colombo

Sri Lanka reels from Cyclone Ditwah as death toll nears 200

Top Trump administration officials are meeting Ukrainian negotiators in Florida this weekend, pushing to broker an end to Russia's war in Ukraine.

Florida

Rubio and Witkoff to meet with Ukraine's negotiators in Florida

President Trump intensified his pressure campaign on Venezuela on Saturday. He posted that the airspace around the country is "closed in its entirety." It comes amid growing pressure on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro to step down.

Trump declares Venezuela's airspace closed

Negotiators for Ukraine are headed to Florida for further peace talks with Trump administration officials. The visit comes amid new deadly air assaults across Ukraine.

Deadly Russian air assaults hit Ukraine amid peace talks

Approximately 24 million people across the U.S. are under winter storm alerts. Dave Malkoff and Andrew Kozak have the details on this holiday weekend's forecast and the impact.

Chicago

Major storm blasts Midwest, impacting holiday travel

Ukraine’s security services say that domestically made naval drones struck two Russian oil tankers in the Black Sea, involving vessels described as part of Russia’s “shadow fleet.”

Ukraine strikes Russian oil tankers in the Black Sea

From Rome to Berlin, from São Paulo to Istanbul: the demonstration in the Italian capital, led by Global Movement to Gaza, reflects a global protest for Gaza, with thousands of people united in solidarity and justice

Rome

Thunberg joins pro-Palestine march in Rome

US President Donald Trump has said the airspace above Venezuela is to be closed. With a US task force already in the Caribbean, land operations against suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers could soon begin.

US military threat fuels fear and uncertainty in Venezuela

More than 150 people have been killed as Cyclone Ditwah has been battering Sri Lanka with torrential rains that triggered flooding and landslides. Authorities declared a state of emergency.

Cyclone Ditwah pounds Sri Lanka with deadly force

Investigators in Hong Kong are gathering evidence at the site of the apartment block fire that killed at least 128 people. At least 150 are missing, and 11 people involved in the renovation of the complex have been arrested.

Breakdown