Spain boss Luis de la Fuente has been talking up Lamine Yamal ahead of World Cup 2026 and has urged the Barcelona star to seize the moment.
Yamal heads into the tournament as the most exciting young player on the planet. He’s part of a strong Spain team that will arrive at the World Cup as one of the favorites, and De la Fuente says Yamal can’t wait to get going.
“He’s incredibly excited. He’s incredibly eager. He’s very young but very mature. And he knows this is his moment. And in life, you have to seize your opportunities. You never know how you’ll be at the next World Cup,” he told EFE’s ‘ Los Desayunos program.
“And this is Lamine Yamal’s moment . He’s very good, and he’ll only get better as his teammates help him perform at his best. In my opinion, we have the best players in the world in many positions, and that will help him perform even better.”
Yamal will also arrive at World Cup 2026 after several weeks on the sidelines through injury. There’s speculation already that he could sit out Spain’s early group games in the hope that he’s eased back carefully.