Lamine Yamal won the 'Man of the Match' award after Spain's stoppage-time victory over Belgium in the World Cup quarterfinals, but he remains far from his usual level with Barcelona.

Yamal struggled with fitness at the start of the World Cup, gradually gained playing time in the group stage, and fully recovered by the knockout rounds.

However, the young winger has not yet displayed his expected magic, a view shared by former Spanish star César Azpilicueta, who said during his analysis of yesterday's match for BBC: 'Yamal has not given his best; I think he has a lot more to offer. He needs to move more to make a difference.'

The newspaper 'El Español' also touched on another reason that may psychologically affect Yamal's performance: the absence of his father Mounir Nasraoui from World Cup matches in North America.

Lamine Yamal, with his father Mounir Nasraoui and his grandmother Fatima and other family members, during the Ballon d'Or ceremony - September 22, 2025 - REUTERS

Why is Lamine Yamal's father absent from the World Cup?

Yamal has family support in the World Cup stands from his mother 'Sheila Ebana', his younger brother 'Ken', and his girlfriend 'Inés García', while his father is notably absent, despite always supporting him at Barcelona matches and major events.

The newspaper reported, citing a friend of Yamal's father, that Nasraoui did not travel to the United States for health reasons related to fear of 'epileptic seizures'.

Patients with these chronic neurological disorders are advised to avoid long travel, so Yamal's father preferred not to travel from Spain to the United States, in addition to the team's long travel during the tournament, having visited Atlanta, Dallas, and Los Angeles in the United States, and Guadalajara in Mexico.

Lamine Yamal hopes to crown his first World Cup appearance with the title, but first he must overcome the obstacle of France in the semifinals.