Lamine Yamal’s coronation journey at the 2026 World Cup was marked by victories against two legends, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
In the early morning of July 20, Yamal and his teammates defeated Lionel Messi’s Argentina with a score of 1-0, thereby winning the World Cup golden cup after 16 years of waiting. Prior to that, in the round of 16, Yamal’s Spain also overcame another title contender, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, with the same score of 1-0.
Overcoming the two biggest icons of contemporary football in succession helped a player just 19 years old like Yamal receive admiration from fans. However, what makes the Barcelona star highly rated lies not only in the victories on the pitch, but also in the way he behaved after the match.
After the final whistle blew, Yamal did not engage in any provocative celebrations or show arrogance before his two seniors. Instead, the striker born in 2007 proactively approached to hug and show respect to both Messi and Ronaldo, the idols who inspired him to pursue a football career.
That image quickly spread on social media and received much praise. Quite a few fans argued that Yamal does not only possess a rare talent, but also shows maturity in his behavior despite having just turned 19.
Yamal also enters history as one of the youngest players to win both the World Cup and the EURO before the age of 20.
