World Cup 2026: Time for Lamine Yamal to ignite? Or another Mbappe World Cup masterclass?
Lamine Yamal only turned 19 on Monday, but he is already the best young forward on the planet.
Barcelona’s breakthrough 2023-24 season ended with him being included in Spain’s Euro 2024 squad, and like Mbappe in 2018, he shone in his first major tournament and inspired his team to victory.
He was the Ballon d’Or runner-up last year at the age of 18, but a hamstring injury in April disrupted his World Cup preparations.
He hasn’t shined like Mbappe, Messi or Jude Bellingham, scoring just one goal in five games.
“I ask him to calm down,” coach Luis de la Fuente said. “He came of age last year. He is 19 years old. Now imagine if I told him to calm down, enjoy it and forget all the worries. He needs to enjoy his football. The big day is yet to come for Lamine in this World Cup.”
Lack of fitness from Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams forced coach Luis de la Fuente to make changes to Spain’s style; While the European champions create chaos on the wings, the current team prioritizes control.
“This means Lamine Yamal is operating with less space, more defenders are supporting him and Spain is operating with less dynamism in the overall game,” says Spanish football journalist Ruairidh Barlow.
“So it makes sense that he is not dazzling to some extent. What De la Fuente and Spain want from him is to rely on control of the game and a solid defence, two or three minutes per game where he unlocks the defense or throws the defense off balance. So far he has more or less achieved that.”
De la Fuente reinforced this idea before Lamine Yamal won more duels than his teammates in the quarter-final victory against Belgium.
“This is the right moment for him,” the manager said. “It’s not a moment of scoring 10 goals, it’s a moment of being decisive in decisive matches.”
The strength of the Spain team lies in the collective, but there is still a certain respect for the 19-year-old.
“Sometimes we forget his age and maybe we expect too much from him, but he is very talented,” wrote Xavi, who made his Barcelona debut to Lamine Yamal. Athletic., external
“He has the ability to do so many things on the field that his influence has increased. His teammates are looking for him more. When problems arise at various points in the match, the ball goes to Lamine.
“He is a leader who makes a difference on the pitch at a young age, something we have only seen with Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona, Pele and perhaps Ronaldo. [Nazario].
“The next 15 to 20 years will be Lamine’s if he wants it.”
