On his 19th birthday, Lamine Yamal is setting the tone for Spain in Dallas ahead of the semifinal against France — and still has to go to the barber.
Lamine Yamal certainly doesn’t lack self-confidence, and he certainly doesn’t lack attention. When the teenager—who turned 19 on Monday—steps onto the World Cup field, many spectators cheer almost as loudly as they do for Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi.
Lamine Yamal, this young, curly-haired player with braces, is of course well aware of his status in the game, but he’s just as aware of his value on the field. Without the then-16-year-old prodigy from FC Barcelona, Spain probably wouldn’t have become European champions, and without him, they’ll hardly make it to the World Cup final in Dallas either.
Accordingly, Spain’s No. 19 appeared relaxed on Monday evening in the crowded and stuffy press room, where a single second without the click of a camera felt like a minute of silence. “If anyone should be afraid, it’s them,” Lamine Yamal had already said to France after the late quarterfinal victory over Belgium.
What might sound cocky to some—given that he’s scored only once in the tournament so far—seems to stem more from conviction for the Barça superstar. After all, in the two most recent, rather special matchups against France (5–4 in the Nations League semifinal, 2–1 in the Euro semifinal), he’s scored a total of three times and clearly left his mark.
Hardly any French journalist could resist asking France coach Didier Deschamps or midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery about Spain’s superstar before Lamine Yamal took the field. This eventually got on Zaire-Emery’s nerves in particular. “Soccer is a team sport,” he said tersely. “Lamine Yamal has extraordinary qualities; he can do everything. But before we talk about Lamine Yamal, we should talk about the entire Spanish team.”
So they talked about the entire Spanish team, and Coach Deschamps immediately declared the opponent the favorite in the semifinal and for the World Cup title. “What people say isn’t important,” says the Spanish coach, Luis de la Fuente. “I’m taking the pressure off once again. Whether we’re the favorites or not doesn’t put any extra pressure on us.”
Lamine Yamal doesn’t feel any pressure either. “There are more difficult situations than a soccer game—I always try to keep that in mind,” the birthday boy explained with remarkable maturity, while his gold necklace shone brighter than his own star in the soccer sky. “It’s just a soccer game; I try not to let it get to me too much.”
He’s therefore completely relaxed ahead of “the most important game of my career”—probably also because a trip to the barber with his little brother is on the agenda after the birthday party. “I don’t feel any pressure. I play as well as I can. If you give it your all, you don’t need to put yourself under pressure.”
Lamine Yamal wants to reach the final: “It’s difficult, but …”
That’s something Coach de la Fuente would like to instill in his entire team. The successful coach said they should enjoy every minute of this tournament, just like his standout player on the right wing. “Lamine Yamal’s big day at this World Cup is still to come. I hope it’s tomorrow; otherwise, in the final.”
The player celebrating his birthday on July 19 would also love to be there—in East Rutherford, New Jersey—and, despite his calm and friendly nature, sounds unusually bold for once. Can Spain beat France and go on to become world champions? “Yes,” says Lamine Yamal. “It’s difficult, but why not?” It’s just soccer, after all.
