Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente praised the level Lamine Yamal is displaying, confirming that the Barcelona player is steadily progressing towards becoming one of football's legends.
Spain defeated Denmark 3-1 in Matchday 3 of the UEFA Nations League group stage.
De la Fuente told journalists after the match: "I think Lamine never stops surprising us all. He is extremely talented, and there is still much more to see from his best version. He is developing very quickly."
He added, "He is a key player for the national team, has a real impact on the pitch, and we celebrate having him with us."
Regarding the possibility of considering Yamal the best player in the world, he said: "If he were the only Spaniard among the nominees, I would have told him he is the best in the world. He excels at everything in his position, and if he isn't the best due to competition from other Spanish players, he is certainly among the best. But he is on his way to becoming a legendary player."
The Spain coach addressed the decision to substitute Yamal after he played in the first half, clarifying that the technical staff treats him like all other players without distinction.
He said: "We treat Lamine exactly like any other player. We do not differentiate between players; we care for everyone equally and manage their playing minutes."
He explained, "We thought the match would go differently, but we wanted to reduce the physical load on Lamine so he could be in the best possible condition."
Regarding the decline in the Spanish team's performance in the second half, De la Fuente said, "We played well in the first half, and in the second, the substitutions had an impact, but we lost continuity in our style of play."
He continued, "I repeat that we played four matches in ten days, including the Croatia game, so the physical demands are high. We lost some of our intensity, and we want to keep the players healthy, but we also need to win matches."
He concluded, "We will arrive home at three in the morning, train tomorrow, and then travel again on Monday. No player participated in more than three matches, and if we don't suffer further injuries, we will be happy to collect 12 points, but it is extremely difficult."
Spain raised their tally to nine points, topping the group with a perfect record.
