Lamine Yamal on course for Spain greatness, says Luis de la Fuente

Luis de la Fuente says Lamine Yamal is on course to become a Spain legend after the teenager continued his outstanding international form in a 3-1 Nations League win over Czechia.

The Barcelona winger opened the scoring in the sixth minute with another superb individual effort. Yamal moved inside on to his left foot before curling the ball into the top corner, leaving De la Fuente holding his head on the touchline.

The Spain manager again praised Yamal after the final whistle, saying: “Lamine never stops surprising us. He has so much talent and so much quality. He still has a lot to offer us, too, and there is a long way to go until we see the best Lamine.”

Yamal, 19, has scored in each of his past three appearances for Spain and has found the net four times during that sequence. His other goals in the run came inside the opening minutes against England and Croatia.

His latest strike helped the world champions retain their perfect record in the Nations League and stay three points clear of England at the top of Group A3.

De la Fuente believes Yamal’s progress is still in its early stages and that the winger could eventually earn legendary status with the national side.

“Lamine is on the path to becoming a legend,” he said.

Yamal’s form has also enhanced his claims in the Ballon d’Or debate. De la Fuente said he would regard the teenager as the best player in the world if Yamal were Spain’s only nominee.

“He does everything well,” De la Fuente said. “If he’s not the best, then it’s because of competition from the other Spanish players, and even then he’s one of the best for sure.”

Yamal was substituted at half-time, with Spain 2-0 ahead after Rodri had doubled their lead. Spain were unable to produce the same intensity after the break, with Czechia reducing the deficit through Jiri Slama and briefly threatening to make the closing stages difficult.

Mikel Merino restored Spain’s two-goal advantage late on, while Czechia finished with 10 men after Ladislav Krejci was sent off.

De la Fuente acknowledged that Spain’s second-half performance was below the standard they had set before the interval. However, he was satisfied that Yamal and other players had been protected following a demanding schedule.

“The first half went very well, but the second didn’t,” he said. “Four matches in 10 days is tough. Today it was about winning and putting in a good performance, but also about protecting the players.”

Spain’s final match of the international break comes away to Croatia on Tuesday. Their opponents will be seeking a response after suffering a record 7-0 defeat by England.

De la Fuente expects that heavy loss to increase Croatia’s determination.

“They’ll be suffering from stung pride and have an excess of motivation,” he said.

Spain will aim to extend their unbeaten run and preserve their position at the top of Group A3 when they meet Croatia.