Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
When Spain were playing in the 2022 edition of the World Cup, Lamine Yamal was still in school and slowly making his way up the ranks at Barcelona. By 2024, he was the star of the show as Spain won the Euros. Nursing an injury, Yamal was used as a substitute in Spain’s opening match against Cape Verde.
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There was an instant change in energy for Spain as Yamal was given his first start in the World Cup, and the Barca star obliged by scoring a goal and setting up a 4-0 win. Speaking after the win, Yamal said it was a dream come true moment for him.
“I’ve always dreamed of being at a World Cup, and being able to score in my first match as a starter is a dream,” he said. “I watched the last World Cup from a classroom, so being able to score here with my mum and my family in the stands is a dream come true.”
The goal also made Yamal the second player aged 18 or younger to open the scoring of a World Cup match after the great Pele.
Yamal, who made only a brief cameo off the bench in Spain’s opening game against Cape Verde, was handed his first start of the tournament against Saudi Arabia and made an immediate impact.
The teenage winger had already been a constant menace, driving at the Saudi backline with pace and confidence, before meeting Mikel Oyarzabal’s delivery with a composed finish to open his World Cup account.
The atmosphere inside Atlanta Stadium had been electric from the moment Yamal stepped out for the warm-up, with the largely Spain-supporting crowd roaring his every move. Their excitement reached another level after his goal, as the youngster sprinted away in celebration, dropped to his knees, offered a prayer and kissed the pitch in a moment that summed up the significance of the occasion.
Yamal said that Spain wasn’t their usual self in draw against Cape Verde but have now found the right rhythm.
“The first game wasn’t really us, it was different, but now we’ve arrived and we’re going for more,” Yamal said.
Spain will face Uruguay in their final group game on Friday, June 26.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
