First, he set the all-time football record.
Then Lamine Yamal was behind Spain’s final win against England.
– It’s a dream, says the 17-year-old.
Not everyone was satisfied with the entertainment during this year’s EC. Many have argued that too many teams played one too many for defensive football, and that there was a lack of the offensive edge going forward. But Lamine Yamal has been the great exception.
Broke all time records
The Barcelona star was just 16 when the European Championship began, and despite his young age, he was featured on the right wing for Spain throughout the championship. And he thanked for the trust. Yamal was eventually named the European Championship’s best young player, but there were many who thought he deserved the award as the best player – period.
In the semi-final against France, he became the youngest European Championship goalscorer of all time, and in the final against England, he made history again. When the referee blew the whistle, he became, at 17 years and one day – he turned one on Saturday – the youngest player ever to play in a final for a national team. The previous record was held by Pelé, having been 17 years and 249 days during the World Cup final in Sweden in 1958. And Yamal would play a big role in the way to Spain’s European Championship gold.
So he will celebrate
Early in the second half, Yamal broke free and fed teammate Nico Williams who found a gap behind Jordan Pickford in goal. Yamal could have left the field with more points, as he had several delicious passes that freed teammates, and afterwards he was widely hailed as one of Spain’s great heroes. In total, there was one goal and a whopping four assists for Yamal during the EC, and afterwards he was overjoyed.
When he was asked how he intends to celebrate the European Championship gold, he answered, to the Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo:
– It’s a dream and I already want to go back to Spain to celebrate. This is the best gift I could have received. I want to be with my family and celebrate.
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