With a spectacular goal from 16-year-old wonder Lamine Yamal, Spain overcame a deficit to defeat France 2-1 in Munich and advance to the 2024 European Championship final.
As Yamal moved the ball onto his left foot and curled a spectacular goal in off the post from 25 yards in a frenetic first half, he broke the record set by Brazil great Pele to become the youngest player to score at a European Championship or World Cup.
Prior to this, Kylian Mbappe’s exquisite cross was headed in by Randal Kolo Muani to put France ahead. Mbappe was playing without a mask after recovering from a broken nose earlier in the competition.
However, Yamal’s incredible goal turned the tide of the match in Spain’s favour, and shortly after, Dani Olmo finished the comeback with a low shot off defender Jules Kounde after some superb control in the France box.
After failing to break through Luis de la Fuente’s defence, France attempted to rally in the second half, and Mbappe squandered their finest chance to score over the crossbar in the dying moments.
Motivated by the incredible Yamal, this strong Spanish team will now play the victor of England versus Netherlands in the semifinal on Sunday, making history as the first team to win six straight games in the history of the European Championship.
But the player who has left the most impression on history is Yamal, the man who scored the brilliant equalising goal. He will undoubtedly play a significant role in determining if Spain wins their third European Championship on Sunday.
“Lamine is doing things which give hints that he might be a great of sport,” said De la Fuente. “But we need to remain prudent.
“We have to help him by keeping his feet on the ground and developing him in the best way. That means calm and tranquillity. In Ancient Rome, when they talked about Caesar, they would say: ‘Remember, he’s mortal!'”
On reaching the final, Yamal added: “Getting to the final is really special. I need to help my team and that’s what I tried to do today. I was really happy after the final whistle. It’s the dream come true.
“When you reach the final, you have to play against the very best. We’ll wait and see who we get.”
Player of the match Lamine Yamal, who turns 17 on Saturday, said: “I’m very happy to have made it to the final. Now the most important thing is to win it.
“We were in a difficult moment. You wouldn’t expect a goal so soon, but I wanted to put it in where it went in, and I’m very happy.
“I try not to think too much, enjoy it and help the team and if it works out like this, I’m happy and content with the victory.
“I want to win, win and win. I’ll celebrate my birthday here in Germany with my team.”
Dani Olmo, scorer of Spain’s second goal, said: “There is one step left. It is unbelievable to be in the final.
“It doesn’t matter who scored my goal. It was important for the team. We deserve to be in this final. We are a step away from glory.
“It was unfortunate to fall a goal behind but we did not give up. Then Lamine scored an absolutely unbelievable goal. It doesn’t matter who we have in the final.”
France boss Didier Deschamps said: “Spain proved tonight that they are a very good team.
“We were fortunate to open the scoring, but they caused us problems because they were superior in terms of control.
“Tonight they showed all their qualities. We were perhaps a little less fresh, which led to some technical waste, particularly in the construction of the game. We didn’t push forward often enough.”
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