​Lamine Yamal is determined to follow in Kylian Mbappe’s footsteps by aiming to lift the World Cup as a teenager, but first he and Spain must overcome France and their superstar captain in Tuesday’s semi-final. Mbappe first tasted World Cup glory at 19 years and 207 days old when he found the net in France’s win over Croatia to clinch the 2018 title, making him only the second teenager to score in a World Cup final after Pelé, who did so at 17 in 1958. Mbappe’s lifelong romance with the tournament began then; Yamal, by contrast, is stepping into the World Cup for the first time.
Yet Yamal has already broken through in a major tournament. His stunning strike in the Euro 2024 semi-final against Mbappe’s France helped Spain to a 2-1 victory, accomplished four days before his 17th birthday—the day preceding the final. Spain would go on to defeat England, and Yamal was named the Young Player of the Tournament. Now, on the eve of the semi-final in Arlington, he faces another milestone: his 19th birthday falls just ahead of this crucial match. The potential ahead, with his best years ahead of him, is clear, but he is clearly eager to leave a lasting imprint on this World Cup.
There was a moment when his participation seemed precarious, as Yamal had missed the end of Barcelona’s season with a hamstring injury and feared it might be serious enough to keep him from the tournament altogether. “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 admitted in late May.
After coming off the bench in Spain’s goalless opener with Cape Verde, Yamal started against Saudi Arabia and scored in a 4-0 win before being substituted at halftime. He has started every game since, but has yet to add another goal to his tally, and that drought might be weighing on him. Spain captain Rodri urged calm: “I think Lamine needs to steady the anxiety he sometimes has because he wants to show how important a player he is for us.” Rodri praised Yamal’s Euro 2024 maturity, noting that when he is two years older, the lifts he makes will appear even more remarkable.
Without Yamal at his sharpest, Spain have perhaps lacked the lethal verticality that characterized their Euro triumph. France, by contrast, have rediscovered their edge and boast the most electrifying attack in this World Cup. Mbappe, now 27, is the talisman and appears determined to leave an enduring mark as one of the greatest World Cup players of all time. He sits level with Lionel Messi on eight goals in this tournament, one behind the Argentine’s all-time World Cup record of 21.
The prospect of Mbappe potentially reaching a third consecutive final is tantalizing. Having won the trophy in 2018 and struck a hat-trick in the 2022 final, he could advance to a third straight final, a feat that would place him on par with Cafu, the legendary Brazil right-back who competed in finals from 1994 to 2002. Pele and Diego Maradona each featured in only two finals.
This semi-final pits a young, hungry talent in Yamal against a player who has already begun to carve out an era-defining legacy. The outcome will hinge not only on individual brilliance but on how Spain balance their evolving threat with France’s relentless attacking punch. As Yamal approaches his 19th birthday, the narrative of a prodigy seeking to crown a World Cup journey with the ultimate prize remains as compelling as ever.