Luis de la Fuente, the technical director of the Spanish national team, expressed his confidence in Lamine Yamal's ability to appear at his best levels during the decisive stage of the 2026 World Cup, confirming that the Barcelona star has not yet presented the performance that reflects his true potential.
The Spanish national team is preparing to face its French counterpart, Tuesday evening, in the semi-final round, in search of a ticket to the final match.
De la Fuente said, in statements via the program "El Larguero": "Lamine Yamal's real match in the World Cup has not come yet, and I will suffice by leaving this phrase here".
He added: "I know that he is very motivated, and it is enough to look at the features of his face to realize the extent of his desire to shine. I am confident that he will leave a mark in this edition of the World Cup, because we have not seen a match yet that reflects his true level".
Despite Yamal receiving the man of the match award after Spain's exciting victory over Belgium in the quarter-final round, the player was content with scoring only one goal in the tournament, which came against Saudi Arabia in the group stage, and did not succeed after that in scoring any goals or making decisive passes.
The Spanish coach concluded his statements confirming that the pressures accompanying major tournaments are normal for a player of Yamal's age, saying: "All Lamine needs is to get rid of the tension. He is going through a stage of gaining experience and maturity, which is the same as what Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland went through at the beginning of their careers".
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