Yamal unfazed by goal drought if Spain lifts World Cup
Despite scoring only once in the tournament, Lamine Yamal prioritizes team success over personal glory as Spain advances to the semifinals.
Lamine Yamal was named man of the match in Spain's quarterfinal win over Belgium despite failing to score, and he later shared a touching moment with his younger brother Keyne during the post-match celebrations in Los Angeles. Yamal, who has not scored since Spain's group-stage victory against Saudi Arabia on June 21, stated that nobody will care about his lack of goals if Spain wins the World Cup.
At a tournament where stars like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, and Harry Kane have been prolific, the 18-year-old Yamal has just one goal – in a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia. He failed to find the net again as Spain booked their place in the semifinals for the second time. "Obviously I want to score, but I don't go onto the pitch thinking about that. I do it thinking about helping the team," Yamal said. "If we win the World Cup, no one will remember whether I scored goals … The important thing is winning."
Despite the lack of goals, Yamal has performed consistently and broken records. On Friday, he made his sixth World Cup appearance, the most by a player aged 18 or younger in the competition. Two years ago, at age 16, he was the breakout star of Spain's European Championship-winning team, scoring only once – a stunning strike in the semifinal against France.
"There's an idea that I should be scoring more, like at the Euros, but we won the Euros with me scoring just one goal. And I have one goal here too, so I'm relaxed about it," Yamal said with a smile. Spain will hope the 18-year-old can add to his tally in the semifinal against France. "There are two possibilities – either they reach three consecutive World Cup finals, or we beat them three times in a row. We'll see what happens. We aren't afraid at all," Yamal added.
