Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has hailed Lamine Yamal as a player who was “born for this,” comparing the Barcelona sensation’s natural talent to that of Lionel Messi.
As La Roja prepare for the World Cup, the manager believes his young winger possesses a rare quality only seen in the game’s true geniuses.
Special Talent Built For The Biggest Stage
Coming off the back of another successful season with Barcelona that saw him named La Liga’s Player of the Season, Yamal is expected to be the focal point of the Spanish national team this summer.
De la Fuente is confident that the Barcelona winger will not be overawed by the occasion, citing his unique character as a primary reason for his rapid ascent to the top of the global game.
“Lamine was born for this. He has a daring character. Maybe that [pressure] would have overwhelmed you or me. However these guys are particular. What number of instances have we requested of a participant: ‘How good was that man, what occurred to him? Why didn’t he make it?’ As a result of it’s a must to be good at soccer and a thousand issues extra,” the coach informed The Guardian.
“Lamine was 16 [at the Euros], 18 now, he places up with a brutal media strain and makes only a few errors. One minute, one mistake, and the main focus is on that; that’s not truthful.”
The Messi Comparability And God’s Wand
De la Fuente believes the winger belongs in an elite class of gamers blessed with extraordinary expertise, he warned in opposition to putting the burden of succeeding Messi on the teenager’s shoulders. Comparisons to the Argentine icon have been made since Yamal broke via at senior stage, though the teenager has tried to dismiss such talk.
De la Fuente agrees that Yamal and Messi share an identical present, believing solely a choose few possess the innate capacity to vary the sport at such a excessive stage from such a younger age.
“Footballers are individuals of excessive capacity, so clever. They’re geniuses after which there are these which might be touched by God’s wand and there are only a few of these. Lamine, Messi…”
A protracted-forgotten photograph of Messi and Yamal surfaced just lately, exhibiting a 20-year-old Messi bathing Yamal as a child for a charity calendar.
“Perhaps Messi has picked up plenty of infants,” De la Fuente added. “Perhaps it’s probability. However for these of us who’ve religion, who imagine in one thing past, ‘probability’ is God’s pseudonym when he doesn’t need to signal his title. In life I believe, all the things occurs for a purpose.”
Yamal Racing Towards Time
De la Fuente has offered a constructive health replace on Yamal because the squad prepares for his or her World Cup 2026 marketing campaign.
The Barcelona starlet has been nursing a hamstring injury that sparked fears he may miss the beginning of the match in North America, however the newest studies from the camp recommend a fast restoration is underway.
Talking in regards to the winger’s progress, De la Fuente was optimistic however remained cautious concerning the match in opposition to Cape Verde on June 15.
“He’s getting higher quick, hitting all of the targets earlier,” he stated. “I believe he’ll have the ability to play the primary sport, however that doesn’t imply [he will]. We’ll consider if he has to play a bit of bit, not play, await the second sport.”
Spain’s Path Via The Group Stage
Spain enter the match as one of many favorites, however they have to first navigate a Group stage that begins in opposition to Cape Verde earlier than a conflict with Saudi Arabia on June 21. Spain will face Uruguay of their last match on June 26.
Whether or not Yamal begins the primary sport or is eased into the competitors, his presence stays the point of interest of the nation’s hopes as they intention to return to the head of world soccer.
The choice on his involvement will probably go right down to the ultimate coaching classes.
2026 FIFA World Cup: How To Watch
The World Cup will run from June 11–July 19, 2026. Unfold throughout three international locations, the match will culminate with the ultimate on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 match matches will air reside throughout FOX and FS1 with each match streaming reside and on-demand inside each the FOX One and the FOX Sports activities apps.
