After defeating France 2-0 with Spain in the 2026 World Cup semi-finals on July 14, Lamine Yamal also officially surpassed Kylian Mbappe at another memorable milestone.
The victory over France helps Spain advance to the second World Cup final in their history. Alongside the collective’s convincing performance, Lamine Yamal continues to be the center of attention with another memorable milestone in his career.
According to statistics, the forward born in 2007 will enter the final on July 18 at just 19 years and 6 days old. This achievement helps him surpass Kylian Mbappe to become the third-youngest player in history to feature in a World Cup final.
The record still belongs to the legend Pele. In 1958, the “King of Football” won the World Cup with Brazil at just 17 years and 249 days old, while also scoring a brace in the 5-2 victory over Sweden in the final. Ranked behind Pele is defender Giuseppe Bergomi, who triumphed in the 1982 World Cup with Italy at 18 years and 174 days old.
Before being surpassed by Yamal, Mbappe stood third on the list. The French forward played in the 2018 World Cup final against Croatia at the age of 19 years and 207 days, scoring a goal in the 4-2 victory that helped France claim the championship. Mbappe later also featured in the 2022 World Cup final and had aimed for a third consecutive appearance before France stopped in the semi-finals this year.
In the victory over France, Yamal continued to prove his important role in Spain’s style of play. The young star continuously troubled the flank, causing Lucas Digne a lot of difficulties. It was Yamal who brought about the opening penalty kick after a clever run down that caused the French defender to commit a foul in the penalty area. Early in the second half, the 19-year-old player also put the ball into the net with a high-class piece of skill after bypassing Digne, but the goal was not recognized due to an offside error.
Spain will compete for the 2026 World Cup championship on July 19. The opponent of coach Luis de la Fuente and his players will be determined after the remaining semifinal match between Argentina and England.
