Sport
World Cup still waiting for Yamal to arrive
The superstars have shown up at the 2026 World Cup. Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi have both scored eight goals while Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Ousmane Dembele and Vinicius Junior have all made their mark at the tournament. Lamine Yamal, however, has taken some time to come to the boil.
Yamal hasn’t played badly for Spain at the World Cup. The teenager is a crucial important player for the European champions who are preparing for a semi-final against France in Dallas. Indeed, Yamal is averaging more shots on target per 90 minutes than any other Spanish player.
However, the Barcelona youngster has yet to produce a statement performance this summer. This is partly because he is still recovering from a hamstring injury that saw him miss the final two months of the club season and the opening fixture of Spain’s 2026 World Cup campaign.
Spain drew that opening fixture in a 0-0 draw against Cape Verde that highlighted just how reliant on Yamal they are. Without the 19-year-old on the right side, they lacked any sort of attacking penetration. Spain dominated possession, but failed to do anything meaningful with it as they recycled the ball over and over again around the edge of the box.
Yamal is the player who gives Spain a funnel into the attacking third. Two years ago at Euro 2024, Spain also had Nico Williams as a threat on the left wing. The Athletic Club attacker was similar to Yamal in the way he could dribble at opponents and give Spain a direct threat in and around the penalty area.
Williams, however, endured a difficult club campaign and is struggling for fitness at the World Cup. So far, de la Fuente has limited his appearances to cameos off the bench. This has placed even more emphasis on Yamal to be the one to break open games with his play on the right wing.
Of course, Spain have other elite-level players. Rodri is a Ballon d’Or winner. Pedri is one of the best midfield creators in the world. Marc Cucurella has flourished into a naturally impactful full back, as demonstrated by the fact he has contributed more assists than any other Spanish player at the 2026 World Cup.
Dani Olmo has enjoyed a strong World Cup campaign as de la Fuente’s first-choice number 10 while Mikel Oyarzabal has four goals to his name. Yamal, however, has a bigger influence than any of these players. When the teenager plays well, Spain have a much better chance of winning.
This will certainly be true against France who have set the standard at the 2026 World Cup to this point. Mbappe and co. have been formidable in the performances they have produced this summer, but they have a weak link or two and Yamal could expose one of them in the shape of Lucas Digne.
Digne offers a lot as an attacking threat with an excellent left foot. The Aston Villa left back is a good crosser of the ball and even poses a goal threat of his own from distance. However, Digne can be defensively vulnerable and could be a target for Yamal who won’t shy away from dribbling directly at his opposite number.
A statement performance by Yamal against France would add to the sense that Spain are growing into the World Cup and peaking at the right time to get their hands on the trophy for only the second time in their history as a national team. The 19-year-old might still add his name to the list of superstars that have defined this summer’s tournament.
