Yamal chases Mbappe's World Cup footsteps

Spain's teenage sensation Lamine Yamal stands on the cusp of potentially emulating Kylian Mbappe's World Cup legacy, but first, he must help his team overcome France in the upcoming semi-final. Mbappe achieved global stardom by scoring in the 2018 World Cup final at just 19 years and 207 days old, following in the footsteps of Brazilian legend Pele as a teenage finalist scorer. This tournament marked the beginning of Mbappe's extraordinary World Cup journey.

For Yamal, the 2026 World Cup represents his debut on the grandest stage of football. However, the young Barcelona winger has already showcased his prodigious talent internationally. He recently scored a spectacular goal that propelled Spain to a 2-1 victory over France in the Euro 2024 semi-finals. Four days later, just before his 17th birthday, Yamal watched Spain clinch the European Championship title against England, earning him the Best Young Player award for the tournament.

Now, as his 19th birthday approaches just before the semi-final clash against France in Arlington, Yamal is determined to leave a significant mark on this World Cup. His ambition has been amplified by a recent thigh muscle injury that threatened to sideline him and potentially cause him to miss the World Cup. "I was worried the injury was serious and, more concerningly, that it would happen again, causing me to miss the World Cup," Yamal confessed.

After initially featuring as a substitute in Spain's goalless draw against Cape Verde, Yamal returned to the starting lineup against Saudi Arabia, scoring in a dominant 4-0 win before being substituted at halftime. Since then, he has been a consistent starter, though he is yet to add to his goal tally in the tournament. This lack of further goals is believed to be adding pressure on the young star as Spain prepares for its crucial semi-final encounter.