World Cup 2026: Lamine Yamal bids to join elite group of teenagers as Spain play Argentina in final

When asked if Spain will win the World Cup, Lamine Yamal just smiled and said “yes”.

His words to American broadcaster CBS in the build-up will come as no surprise given that no one has seen the confident teenager become the best player on the planet.

For many though, for his prediction to come true, Lamine Yamal would need to light up the tournament in his first World Cup.

So far, that hasn’t happened.

The 19-year-old scored one goal and provided no assists, but his country reached the final anyway and will face Argentina on Sunday.

Starring the likes of fellow superstars Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland, Lamine Yamal’s World Cup was surprisingly cut short.

But could this be his moment?

Lamine Yamal’s stats for Spain are incredible. He has so far played 27 competitive matches in which he lost for his country. He started 12 games for Spain at major tournaments and won all of them, the longest 100%-win streak of any European player across major tournaments while starting.

If he scores in New York on Sunday, he will become only the third teenager to find the net in a World Cup final, after Pele in 1950 and Mbappe in 2018.

Win the tournament and become only the fourth teenager to start a World Cup final and lift the trophy after Pele, Mbappe and Italy’s Giuseppe Bergomi in 1982. Nineteen-year-old teammate Pau Qubarsi could be fifth.

“Nobody cares if Lamin scores a lot of goals and creates a lot of goals,” said one Spain supporter. “Winning the World Cup with Spain will forever be a legend.

“If we lose to Argentina, nobody will remember his first World Cup. We know he will have many more World Cups and we believe he will be the best.

“But not many teenagers get the chance to win the World Cup. This is his chance. If we lose, he will regret it and he didn’t play his best.”