World Cup 2026: Spain’s Lamine Yamal shows why this could be his World Cup
Sharp, fearless and full of confidence, Lamine Yamal easily passed defenders and enlivened Spain’s attack. There was a sense of inevitability about what would happen next.
When the breakthrough came, it was exactly his.
A low cross went over the goal and Lamine Yamal came to the back post, slid in and converted to score his first World Cup goal.
The Atlanta stadium exploded as fans chanted, danced, and chanted Lamine Yamal’s name. This was the superstar they had come to see.
Speaking on 5 Live, Guillem Balague said that he saw Lamine Yamal looking around as if he had conquered the world.
“Is it arrogance? Or is it confidence? It’s a mixture of both,” he said. “He is the chosen one, he wants to be the chosen one.
“He is very happy with his role as the leader of the team. He once told me that the joy he feels when playing football is seeing the same reactions as when he plays five-a-side.”
Lamine Yamal became the seventh player in history to score a goal in the World Cup before turning 19, and only the second player to score the first goal in an 18-and-under match; the other was a 17-year-old Pele for Brazil against Wales in 1958.
Wayne Rooney was extremely complimentary of the young player; Comparisons to Lionel Messi were inevitable.
Lamine Yamal broke many of Messi’s records at Barcelona and has now surpassed him on the global stage as well; The Argentinian was just shy of his 19th birthday when he scored his first goal in the World Cup in 2006, while the Spaniard did it two weeks younger.
“The desire and commitment they have shown for Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo is the reason why they are both playing in this World Cup,” the former England striker told Match of the Day. “They did everything right. I hope Lamine Yamal can achieve this too.
“What was really impressive for me was that when Messi came to the Barcelona team there were some senior players and there was a transition with Ronaldinho.
“[Lamine Yamal] He came to Barcelona and the Spain team and this is his team, he is the main man.
“Everyone expects him to win. [He was] He’s a big part of winning the Euros and he’ll be a big part of this World Cup too. That’s what really impressed me, taking on the pressure at such a young age. “Hopefully he can do that for the next 15, 20 years.”
