Yamal: Scoring in Front of My Parents and Family Was a Longtime Dream

After scoring against Saudi Arabia, 18-year-old star player Yamal revealed that getting the chance to score early in the game fulfilled a long-held dream of his. The Spanish 18-year-old forward Lamin Yamal expressed that scoring against Saudi Arabia and playing in front of his mother and family was a dream come true. He said, “I used to watch this match from the classroom during the last World Cup,” and now being able to score on the field in front of his family felt like a dream realized. Spain defeated Saudi Arabia 4–0 in the match, with goals from both Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal. The match took place on June 21 in Kathmandu.

In the game where Yamal scored, Spain decisively beat Saudi Arabia 4–0. After netting three goals in the first half, both Mikel Oyarzabal and Yamal were rested. Yamal shared that he only played half the match as planned. He explained, ‘Our plan was to play half a game and then get some rest, but the most important thing was to support the team.’ He added, ‘Our leadership was not very effective in the first game. Despite that, we have now regained our rhythm and are aiming to move forward even further.’

Yamal also noted that the match against Cape Verde forced the team to reflect deeply. ‘It was very painful to draw a game we had to win, including penalties. This made us think a lot, and from that game, we learned how to progress moving forward,’ he said.