Spain’s forward #19 Lamine Yamal gives a thumbs up in the course of the 2026 World Cup football tournament quarter-final match between Spain and Belgium on the Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on July 10, 2026. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP)
Lamine Yamal is hoping to emulate Kylian Mbappe by winning the World Cup as an adolescent, but first his Spain side could have to get the higher of France and their superstar captain in Tuesday’s semifinal.
When Mbappe scored in France’s win over Croatia within the deciding match of the 2018 tournament, he was just 19 years and 207 days old. He subsequently became only the second teenager to attain in a World Cup final after a 17-year-old Pele in 1958.
Mbappe’s love affair with the World Cup began then, while that is Yamal’s first experience of the competition.
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He has already had his big breakthrough in a serious tournament, nonetheless –- Yamal’s stunning goal within the Euro 2024 semifinal against Mbappe’s France helped Spain to a 2-1 victory.
That got here 4 days before he turned 17. His birthday was the day before the ultimate. Spain beat England, and Yamal was named young player of the tournament.
This time his nineteenth birthday comes on the eve of the semi-final in Arlington.
Such a young player together with his best years to come back. But he’s clearly desirous to leave a firm mark on this World Cup.
Perhaps too eager, having at one point been a doubt for the tournament after missing the tip of the season with Barcelona as a consequence of a hamstring injury.
“I used to be afraid it is perhaps serious and, above all, that even when it wasn’t serious, I could suffer a setback and find yourself missing the World Cup,” Yamal admitted in late May.
Anxiety?
After coming off the bench in Spain’s opening 0-0 draw with Cape Verde, Yamal began against Saudi Arabia and scored before being replaced at half-time in a 4-0 victory.
He has began every game since, without adding to that solitary goal — that is perhaps attending to him.
“I feel Lamine must calm the anxiety he sometimes has because he wants to point out how necessary a player he’s for us,” Spain captain Rodri said Sunday.
READ: World Cup: Lamine Yamal says France should fear Spain ahead of semis
“Given he was capable of show that level of maturity at that European Championship, when he is 2 years older you should not so impressed by what he’s capable of do,” he added.
With Yamal not as decisive, Spain have lacked the deadly verticality that made them so hard to stop on the Euros.
France, meanwhile, have rediscovered a innovative that evaded them on the Euros, and have probably the most thrilling attack at this World Cup.
Mbappe, now 27, is the talisman and seems intent on leaving a legacy as an all-time World Cup great.
With eight goals here, he’s level with Lionel Messi within the golden boot race and is one behind the Argentine’s all-time World Cup record of 21 goals.
Third straight final?
France’s Kylian Mbappe (10) celebrates scoring their side’s first goal in the course of the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between France and Sweden in East Rutherford, N.J., near Recent York, Tuesday, June 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Having won the trophy in 2018 and scored a hat-trick within the 2022 final, Mbappe has a 3rd straight final in his sights.
He can subsequently match the achievement of the good Brazil full-back Cafu, who played in three in a row from 1994 to 2002. Pele and Diego Maradona each only graced two finals.
His apparent obsession with the World Cup may explain why he missed a bit of the second half of the season with Real Madrid. As he nursed injuries, some supporters questioned his commitment to their club.
“I do know people talk concerning the stats. I watch the TV too. But my only focus is on helping the team and getting us back here on July 19,” he said after beating Sweden within the last 32 on the MetLife Stadium, the venue for the ultimate.
“I even have won a World Cup and been a runner-up. This team has done neither of those things, but it surely is the team with the best potential,” he added after defeating Morocco within the quarter-finals.
Yamal and Mbappe are already icons of their home countries and beyond, two young men representing the trendy face of multicultural Europe.
Mbappe has the greater experience, has already won the World Cup and is confident speaking publicly in English –- those aspects help make him one among the faces of this tournament within the US.
The dazzling Yamal remains to be catching up off the sector, but his record against Mbappe on the pitch is impressive.
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They’ve met incessantly across the Clasico divide within the last two years — thus far Mbappe has eight defeats and just two wins in 10 games against Yamal with club and country.