ARLINGTON, TX — turned 19 on Monday, July 13, and celebrated like each teenager likes to: Talking to a bunch of individuals he is by no means met.
“Due to everybody for coming to my birthday,” Yamal joked to a number of hundred reporters who attended his information convention at Dallas’ AT&T Stadium. “I have not gotten that many items. I nonetheless need to see my household. However I would give myself a win tomorrow and to have the ability to go to New York.”
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That’s the place the remaining is going down, with Yamal hoping to assist previous within the on Tuesday, July 14.
Win that, and Spain will play for a second World Cup title on July 19, with Spain’s official social media accounts posting a video of Yamal saying his want is “to all be collectively till the nineteenth” as he and newly 23-year-old winger had been delivered cake after lunch.
The 19-year-old’s efficiency towards France might go a good distance towards figuring out whether or not or not that birthday want comes true. Yamal has scored one purpose this match, fewer than many followers anticipated from the dynamic teenager who already has received three La Liga titles with .
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Yamal additionally helped Spain win the Euro title in 2024, beating France within the semifinal earlier than toppling England within the remaining. But, even with out Yamal discovering the again of the online, Spain has clamped down on opponents – permitting just one purpose to date this match – and gotten sufficient attacking contributions from elsewhere to achieve the semifinal.
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See Spain’s 18-year-old phenom Lamine Yamal in motion at World Cup
Spain’s Lamine Yamal in motion through the World Cup with Portugal’s Nuno Mendes and Renato Veiga in Arlington, Texas, on July 6, 2026.
He grew to become the youngest participant to attain a World Cup purpose since Pelé in 1958.
(Tim Heitman, IMAGN IMAGES by way of Reuters)
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See Spain’s 18-year-old phenom Lamine Yamal in motion at World Cup
Spain’s Lamine Yamal in motion through the World Cup with Portugal’s Nuno Mendes and Renato Veiga in Arlington, Texas, on July 6, 2026.
He grew to become the youngest participant to attain a World Cup purpose since Pelé in 1958.
(Tim Heitman, IMAGN IMAGES by way of Reuters)
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See Spain’s 18-year-old phenom Lamine Yamal in motion at World Cup
Lamine Yamal #19 of Spain prays earlier than the FIFA World Cup 2026 Spherical of 16 match between Portugal and Spain at Dallas Stadium on July 6, 2026 in Arlington, Texas.
(Molly Darlington, Getty Photos)
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See Spain’s 18-year-old phenom Lamine Yamal in motion at World Cup
Spain’s ahead #19 Lamine Yamal kicks the ball through the 2026 World Cup spherical of 32 soccer match between Spain and Austria on the Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on July 2, 2026.
(PATRICK T. FALLON, AFP by way of Getty Photos)
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See Spain’s 18-year-old phenom Lamine Yamal in motion at World Cup
Lamine Yamal #19 of Spain takes a shot through the FIFA World Cup 2026 Spherical of 32 match between Spain and Austria at Los Angeles Stadium on July 2, 2026 in Inglewood, California.
(Michael Steele, Getty Photos)
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See Spain’s 18-year-old phenom Lamine Yamal in motion at World Cup
Spain’s Lamine Yamal in motion with Austria’s Xaver Schlager and Romano Schmid on July 2, 2026.
(Gary Vasquez, IMAGN IMAGES by way of Reuters)
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See Spain’s 18-year-old phenom Lamine Yamal in motion at World Cup
Spain’s Lamine Yamal in motion with Uruguay’s Rodrigo Bentancur on June 26, 2026.
(Daniel Becerril, Reuters)
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See Spain’s 18-year-old phenom Lamine Yamal in motion at World Cup
This {photograph} taken with a gradual shutter velocity reveals Spain’s ahead #19 Lamine Yamal preventing for the ball towards Uruguay’s midfielder #06 Rodrigo Bentancur through the 2026 World Cup Group H soccer match between Uruguay and Spain on the Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan on June 26, 2026.
(CARL DE SOUZA, AFP by way of Getty Photos)
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See Spain’s 18-year-old phenom Lamine Yamal in motion at World Cup
Spain’s Lamine Yamal in motion with Uruguay’s Juan Manuel Sanabria on June 26, 2026.
(Daniel Becerril, Reuters)
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See Spain’s 18-year-old phenom Lamine Yamal in motion at World Cup
Uruguay’s defender #16 Mathias Olivera and Spain’s ahead #19 Lamine Yamal battle for the ball through the 2026 World Cup Group H soccer match between Uruguay and Spain on the Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan on June 26, 2026.
(ALFREDO ESTRELLA, AFP by way of Getty Photos)
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See Spain’s 18-year-old phenom Lamine Yamal in motion at World Cup
Lamine Yamal #19 of Spain celebrates scoring his crew’s first purpose through the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group H match between Spain and Saudi Arabia at Atlanta Stadium on June 21, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.
(Mattia Ozbot, Getty Photos)
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See Spain’s 18-year-old phenom Lamine Yamal in motion at World Cup
Lamine Yamal #19 of Spain through the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group H match between Spain and Saudi Arabia at Atlanta Stadium on June 21, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.
(Justin Setterfield, Getty Photos)
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See Spain’s 18-year-old phenom Lamine Yamal in motion at World Cup
Lamine Yamal #19 of Spain celebrates with teammate Rodri #16 after scoring his crew’s first purpose through the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group H match between Spain and Saudi Arabia at Atlanta Stadium on June 21, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.
(Justin Setterfield, Getty Photos)
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See Spain’s 18-year-old phenom Lamine Yamal in motion at World Cup
Lamine Yamal #19 of Spain celebrates with teammate Rodri #16 after scoring his crew’s first purpose through the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group H match between Spain and Saudi Arabia at Atlanta Stadium on June 21, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.
(Justin Setterfield, Getty Photos)
Born within the Barcelona space to a mom from Equatorial Guinea and a father from Morocco, Yamal was requested to answer feedback from former Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy, who claimed that France performs “with out French” gamers because of the multicultural background of its gamers.
“Earlier than the World Cup semifinal, I don’t suppose is the place to discuss that, but when soccer is for something, it’s for integrating, for partnership,” Yamal stated. “There’s no higher instance than France and us. We’re examples of integration, and in the end that’s what soccer is – not talking about what one other particular person has stated.”
Yamal and Spain tackle France at 3 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 14.
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