A Yellowknife boy impressed international soccer scouts before he was 11 years old.
Most recently, 10-year-old Yuuma Tabbaa was invited to a soccer tournament in Madrid this June, but this is not the first time he has played on the international stage.
Yuuma said he has known for quite some time that soccer is different from other sports.
“My favorite part is that I love it, and I want to go pro when I’m older,” he said.
What started as a child kicking his sister’s soccer ball around the house quickly developed into serious skills as he got older, said Yuuma’s father, Maher Tabbaa.
In 2023, Yuuma attended the Real Madrid camp in Edmonton. There he received an award as one of the best shooters. Yuuma was also named one of the best players in the entire camp.
So, out of about 10 camps held across Canada, Yuuma was invited to join the Canadian team that will participate in the Real Madrid World Challenge in Madrid in March 2024.
“It felt good to get the top scorer award, so I know I’m doing well and it makes me want to work harder,” said Yuuma.
Taba said he enjoys watching Yuuma grow and develop his soccer skills.
“There is a lot of hard work behind the scenes, but we all enjoy it and love doing everything we can for this little champion. I hope one day he can become a big champion and we can all be proud of him. I hope he will do just that. I’m sure it will,” Tabbaa said.
During the Real Madrid tournament last March, Yuuma was scouted by Kaptiva Sports Academy to play in the Barcelona tournament.
Yuuma just returned from a trip last month.
“They were very competitive and it motivated me to train harder to play with them when I get older and I hope so,” Yuuma said.
Yuuma was scouted by Kaptiva again while he was in Barcelona to participate in another international tournament in Madrid in June this year.
“I’m glad people are looking forward to me and choosing me to go to Europe,” Yuuma said.
Yuuma also has a personal connection to Madrid. Real Madrid is his favorite team and Lionel Messi is his favorite player.
Tabbaa trains with Yuuma on his own time about three times a week. Yuuma also plays for Yellowknife Galaxy Soccer Academy in the U15 league, where there are players up to five years older than him.
