Lamine Yamal vs Mbappe: La Liga stars set to face off in the World Cup

Image caption, Both Mbappe and Yamal seek to win a second major title

Article Information

Author, Alex BrothertonRole, BBC Sport

Published 3 hours ago

Reading time: 6 minutes

Both Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe aspire to add a second major title to their careers.

This confrontation comes in the World Cup semifinal, where each team seeks to reach the final match.

France and Spain will renew one of the most exciting international rivalries in Dallas this Tuesday evening, with the aim of winning the ticket to the World Cup final.

France, the 2018 champion, wants to reach the third consecutive final, while their Spanish rivals, the 2010 champion, seek to become the fourth team to hold both the World Cup and European Championship titles simultaneously.

Both teams have many talents, but all eyes are on Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal in particular.

Mbappe began his global career at the 2018 World Cup when he scored two quick goals to lead France to victory over Messi-led Argentina in the round of 16, continuing his path to winning the tournament title.

Outperforming one of the greatest players in history at that time was the first indication of a shift in the balance of power. But now there is a new global star.

Eight years after that confrontation, teenager Lamine Yamal looks to replicate what Mbappe did to Messi and shine on the biggest football stage, after a quiet start in his first World Cup appearance.

Mbappe will become the 'greatest player' France has known

After scoring 42 goals in 44 matches for Real Madrid last season, making him the top scorer in La Liga and the Champions League, Mbappe helped make France's attack the most fearsome in this edition of the World Cup.

Skip most read and continue reading

World Cup: Oyarzabal scores Spain's opening goal from the penalty spot

"How Israel recruited former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad?" - New York Times

The US blockade of Iranian ports nears implementation, and Trump says the strait is open to navigation 'except Iran'

Houthis target Abha Airport and warn against flying in Saudi airspace

Skip podcast and continue reading

Worth watching

In-depth explanation of the most important events and topics, to help you understand the key changes around you and their impact on your life

Episodes

End of podcast

And the French star, the second most expensive player in history, leads the Golden Boot race alongside Messi with eight goals each in six matches, and has contributed to more goals (11 goals) than any other player.

Mbappe was close to becoming the all-time World Cup top scorer after raising his tally to 19 goals, surpassing German Miroslav Klose's record of 16 goals, had Messi not reached 20 goals first.

The only blemish on his resume is not winning a major title in the Spanish capital despite enjoying two outstanding individual seasons with Real Madrid.

Mbappe scored in his first World Cup final, and scored a hat-trick in the second final – but the match ended in his team's loss.

And this summer, the 27-year-old French captain surpassed former striker Olivier Giroud to become France's all-time top scorer, now with 64 goals in 104 matches.

Giroud told BBC's 'Match of the Day' when asked about Mbappe's stunning rise:

"For me, it's all about ambition and confidence. He knows where he wants to go. He is a leader, and you could see from a young age that he was very comfortable. He was mature for his age."

Mbappe wants to break every record, but only if it serves the team – and it is no secret that he is obsessed with matching Pele's record of winning the World Cup three times.

French football journalist Luke Antwistle says:

"He (Mbappe) has accompanied this team in three consecutive World Cups during which he has been the pivotal player."

However, despite his move to Real Madrid coinciding with two consecutive title-less seasons for the Spanish royal club, he entered the World Cup with something to prove.

Antwistle adds:

"He has achieved great numbers, but the impression in France and outside is that he is a player who harms the group."

"There was talk about the need to run more without the ball and do more defensive work. He put that into practice. And the way France regained the ball in advanced areas (on the pitch) during this tournament would not have been possible without him doing that."

Zinedine Zidane and Michel Platini are widely considered the greatest French players of all time, but French football expert Julien Lawrence believes Mbappe will surpass them.

Lawrence said: "I expect him to become number one by the end of his career. He still has at least one more World Cup after this tournament and European Championships to play, so he could become the greatest player we have ever known."

"The next fifteen years will belong to Lamine Yamal"

Image caption, Yamal's goal against Saudi Arabia made him the second player – after Pele – aged 18 or younger to open the scoring in a World Cup match

Lamine Yamal only turned 19 on Monday, but he is already the best young forward in the world.

He ended the 2023-2024 season, which saw his strong emergence with Barcelona, by being called up to Spain's squad for Euro 2024, and like Mbappe in 2018, he shone in his first major tournament and led his country to glory.

He finished runner-up for the Ballon d'Or last year at the age of 18, but a hamstring injury in April disrupted his preparations for the World Cup.

With only one goal scored in five matches started as a regular in the lineup, he certainly hasn't shone like Mbappe, Messi, or Jude Bellingham.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said: "I ask him to stay calm. He reached the age of maturity last year. He is 19 years old. Imagine that I just told him to calm down, enjoy, and forget any worry. He must enjoy football. Lamine's big day has not come yet in this World Cup."

The lack of physical readiness of Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams forced coach Luis de la Fuente to adjust Spain's playing style, and while the European champions caused trouble through the wings, the current team prioritizes control of the game.

Spanish football journalist Rory Barlow said: "This means that Lamine Yamal plays in smaller spaces, faces more defenders who double-mark him, and Spain's overall performance has become less dynamic."

He added: "Therefore, it is almost logical that he (Lamine) does not look dazzling. What De la Fuente and Spain need from him – relying on control of play and solid defense – is two or three moments in each match where he can unlock the defense or disrupt its balance. So far, Lamine has achieved that to some extent."

De la Fuente reinforced this idea before Lamine Yamal won more duels than any of his teammates in the quarter-final victory over Belgium.