Lamine Yamal, the 19-year-old Spain and Barcelona forward, has described the moment Spain's winning goal went in during the World Cup final against Argentina as "spectacular", adding that he felt they were champions. In an interview with the Guardian's Sid Lowe, Yamal said he never felt nervous during the final, which Spain won 1-0 after extra time, and that he simply wanted to keep playing.
World Cup final memories
Yamal, who turned 19 the day before the semi-final, explained that Spain knew they would win once Enzo Fernández was sent off in the third minute of second-half stoppage time. "We knew it was impossible they would score, and with the ball against 10, very difficult for us not to," he said. The winning goal came on 106 minutes when Ferran Torres scored from a Nico Williams header back across goal, set up by Pedro Porro's cross.
Yamal described his approach to facing defenders as "very psychological", comparing them to robots. "Robots can be almost perfect but a human will have something a robot doesn't," he said. He credited his street football background and Barcelona's La Masia academy for his unique style.
Ballon d'Or ambitions and family
Yamal, who has won both the European Championship and the World Cup before turning 20, said he believes he should be named the world's best footballer. "Being completely honest, it's not just this year I've been at a Ballon d'Or [winning] level, but longer," he said. He acknowledged that his age might count against him but insisted he will keep winning until there is no debate.
He also spoke about his family's reaction to his success, noting that they don't know what it is to lose. "I told them: 'Calm down, there will be plenty more World Cups,'" he said. Yamal said his motivation comes from his family, recalling how his mother struggled and his father collected scrap metal so he could play football. "That's fear. Now if I had a son, I could look after him," he added.
Pressure and personality
Yamal admitted he enjoys the pressure and the attention, saying he plays for fun and for the fans. "There are times I enjoy the pressure. I enjoy going on to the pitch, when a lot is expected," he said. He also revealed that he asked his father to remove a photo of him as a baby with Lionel Messi because he wanted to be known as Lamine, not as Messi.
Despite his fame, Yamal insisted that only his inner circle truly knows him. "People don't have a clue – not a clue, Not. A. Clue," he said. He said he values his privacy and the normal life he can have when people know little about him, and that he feels no fear in football now that he can support his family.
