 "Lamine Yamal, Spain")
Spain’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal celebrated his 17th birthday in spectacular fashion, clinching the European Championship and being named the tournament’s best young player. Remarkably, Yamal achieved most of these feats while still 16, capping his contributions with a key assist in Spain’s 2-1 victory over England in the final on Sunday.
Reflecting on the milestone, Yamal expressed his joy: “This is the best birthday gift I could have asked for. It’s a dream come true.” He acknowledged the challenges faced during the match, especially when England equalized. “It got tough when they tied the score, but I don’t know what this team is made of because we always fight back,” he added.
The final saw England substitute Cole Palmer leveling the score, but Mikel Oyarzabal secured Spain’s triumph with a decisive goal in the 86th minute. Yamal had earlier set up Nico Williams for Spain’s opening goal in the 47th minute, expertly navigating past Luke Shaw to deliver a perfect pass for Williams, who struck the ball first time into the far post. Yamal also tested England’s goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford, with two formidable shots.
Williams praised Yamal’s outstanding performance: “Lamine is incredible, as you’ve all seen during this tournament. The sky’s the limit for him. As well as being a good player, he’s also a great person.”
Yamal made history in several ways during the tournament, becoming the youngest player to appear, score, and play in a final at the European Championship. Following in the footsteps of his idol Lionel Messi, Yamal honed his skills at Barcelona’s renowned La Masia academy and has already become the youngest goalscorer in the Spanish league.
In his debut European Championship, Yamal finished with four assists and one goal, showcasing his extraordinary talent and setting the stage for a promising future.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)