Lamine Yamal is ready for Spain's World Cup final moment
Lamine Yamal is ready for his and Spain's World Cup moment after helping La Roja beat France 2-0 in the semi-final and book only their second final in history. The Barcelona teenager will be 19 years and six days old on Sunday at MetLife Stadium, set to become the third-youngest World Cup finalist ever.
Key Takeaways
- Spain beat France 2-0 to reach only their second World Cup final.
- Lamine Yamal won the early penalty converted by Mikel Oyarzabal and later had a goal ruled out for a marginal offside.
- On final day he will be 19 years and six days old, younger than Kylian Mbappé was in 2018.
- Only Pelé and Giuseppe Bergomi have appeared in a World Cup final at a younger age.
- Before the semi-final, Yamal said football must unite people and called France and Spain examples of integration.
What did Lamine Yamal do against France?
In Arlington, Texas, Spain shut out No. 1-ranked France with goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro in front of 70,176 fans at the home of the Dallas Cowboys. According to Yahoo Sports, Yamal did not post flashy personal numbers but still shaped the match.
He forced the first-half penalty that Oyarzabal converted to open the scoring, then had a finish ruled out for a marginal offside. FOX Sports noted that Spain did not need a heroic headline display from the teen to feel dominant, yet his decisive actions still helped book the final berth.
Coach Luis de la Fuente said after the win that facing a side like Spain feels like facing an unbeatable team. Fans chanted through the stadium as La Roja reached the program's second-ever World Cup final.
How young will Lamine Yamal be in the final?
Yamal turned 19 on Monday. If he takes the pitch at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, he will become the third-youngest World Cup finalist ever at 19 years and six days old.
That edges past Mbappé, who was 19 years and 207 days old when France beat Croatia in the 2018 final. Only Pelé, at 17 years and 249 days in 1958, and Italy defender Bergomi, at 18 years and 174 days in 1982, were younger in a World Cup final.
Spain's result also gives Yamal a chance to become a world champion before his 20th birthday, another milestone in a career already moving at unusual speed.
Why did Lamine Yamal say football must unite?
Ahead of the France clash, reporters in Dallas asked Yamal about former Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy's remark that France were a great team but "did not have any French players." The Barcelona forward, the son of a Moroccan father and Equatorial Guinean mother, refused to fuel the row.
"Tomorrow we'll play a brilliant match but if football serves any purpose it's to bring people together," he told reporters, as carried by Reuters. "France and Spain are examples of integration. That's what football is all about: integration. Not talking about what someone else has said."
He also shrugged off a modest personal goal tally, saying Spain were winning and he hoped to keep playing matches so he could score. For more BlasterPost coverage beyond the pitch, see our Future Tech & AI Wonders desk.
Spain now await the winner of Argentina versus England. Yamal's next step is the biggest stage yet: a World Cup final where history, and a title shot, are both within reach.