Lamine Yamal reflects on Spain’s World Cup final victory

Lamine Yamal has reflected on Spain’s 2026 World Cup final victory over Argentina, explaining how Enzo Fernandez’s dismissal changed the contest and strengthened his team’s belief.

“We knew it was impossible they would score, and with the ball against 10, very difficult for us not to,” the Barcelona winger told The Guardian.

Yamal also described how he unsettled Argentina’s full-back before Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal. Rather than relying only on speed, he deliberately slowed his movement, drawing Alexis Mac Allister toward him and creating space for Pedro Porro to advance.

“A full-back will have a coach who says: ‘OK, Lamine: what he does is …’ I think of him as a robot, trying to stop me,” Yamal explained.

“Robots can be almost perfect, but a human will have something a robot doesn’t. Football is mechanised, but there are players like me, Pedri, many others, who have that special spark.”

The teenager said Neymar’s stop-and-go style had influenced his approach, helping him remain unpredictable. He recalled enjoying the closing stages rather than fearing an equaliser.

“We knew Ferran needed it. Well, everyone needs a goal in a World Cup final,” he said. “When it goes in, it’s spectacular, you feel you’re champions. You can’t explain the emotion.”