Spain's Yamal aims to join elite club of teenage World Cup winners

Spain's Lamine Yamal is on the cusp of joining an exclusive club of teenage World Cup champions. The 19-year-old forward will feature in Sunday's final, potentially etching his name alongside legends like Pele.

“

He is a global icon at the age of 19 and has the chance to do something historic, although we will be doing everything to stop him.

Yamal's journey to the final has been meteoric. He made his Barcelona debut at 15, earned his first Spain cap at 16, and was named the best young player at Euro 2024. His rapid ascent has seen him become Barcelona's new homegrown idol, succeeding Lionel Messi.

Despite a recent injury scare that threatened his World Cup participation, Yamal has become a key player for Spain. He has started every game since the opening match, though the team has lacked some of the directness seen at Euro 2024. Coach Luis de la Fuente has lauded Yamal as a "genius," comparing him to artistic masters.

“

I was afraid it might be serious and, above all, that even if it wasn’t serious, I could suffer a setback and end up missing the World Cup.

Yamal will be the third-youngest player ever to participate in a World Cup final, following in the footsteps of Pele and Giuseppe Bergomi. Pele, at 17, famously scored twice in the 1958 final, while Bergomi was 18 when Italy won in 1982. Only eight players have won the World Cup as teenagers, with Pele and Kylian Mbappe being the only ones to score in the final before turning 20.

“

They’re different. What is exceptional to us, isn’t to them.