Barcelona star Lamine Yamal is looking to emulate Kylian Mbappé by winning the World Cup as a teenager, but first his Spain side must get past France and their leader, Real Madrid star Mbappé, in the semifinal on Tuesday in Dallas, Texas.

When Mbappé scored in France's win over Croatia in the 2018 World Cup final, he was just 19 years and 207 days old, becoming the second teenager to score in a World Cup final after Pelé, who was 17 in 1958.

Since then, Mbappé's special relationship with the World Cup has begun, while this tournament is Yamal's first experience.

He has already made his big breakthrough in a major tournament, as his spectacular goal in the Euro 2024 semifinal against France's Mbappé helped Spain win 2-1.

That came just four days before he turned 17, with his birthday falling on the eve of the final. Spain beat England, and Yamal was named the tournament's best young player.

This time, his 19th birthday falls on the eve of the semifinal in Arlington.

A player still young, with his best years ahead, but clearly eager to make a strong mark in this edition of the World Cup.

And perhaps with excessive enthusiasm, after his participation in the tournament was in doubt due to missing the end of the season with Barcelona because of a hamstring injury.

Yamal said in late May: "I feared the injury was serious, and above all that I would suffer a setback even if it was not serious, so I would miss the World Cup."

Yamal has not scored in the World Cup. After coming off the bench in Spain's opening 0-0 draw with Cape Verde, Yamal started against Saudi Arabia and scored a goal before being substituted at halftime in a 4-0 win.

Since then, he has started all matches without adding to his goal tally.

Spain captain Rodri said on Sunday: "I think Lamine needs to reduce the anxiety he sometimes feels because he wants to show how important he is to us."

He added: "Given that he showed this level of maturity at the European Championship, when he is two years older, what he does will not be surprising."

With Yamal's finishing declining, Spain has lacked the deadly vertical threat that made them a difficult team to stop at the Euros.

In contrast, France has regained the attacking efficiency they lacked in the continental tournament, and they boast one of the most exciting front lines in this World Cup.

As for Mbappé, now 27, he is the inspirational captain and appears determined to cement his legacy as one of the all-time World Cup greats.

With eight goals in this tournament, he is tied with Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race, and just one goal behind Messi's all-time World Cup record (21 goals).

A third consecutive final? After winning the title in 2018 and scoring a hat-trick in the 2022 final which he lost to Argentina, Mbappé is aiming to reach a third straight final.

By doing so, he would match the achievement of legendary Brazilian full-back Cafu, who played in three consecutive finals between 1994 and 2002, while fellow Brazilian Pelé and Argentine Diego Maradona only reached two finals each.

His apparent obsession with the World Cup may explain his absence from part of the second half of the season with Real Madrid, where some fans questioned his commitment to the club while recovering from injuries.

He said after the 3-0 win over Sweden in the round of 32 at MetLife Stadium, which will host the final: "I know people talk about the numbers. I also watch TV. But my only focus is helping the national team and coming back here on July 19."

He added after beating Morocco in the quarterfinals: "I have won the World Cup and been runner-up. This team has achieved neither, but it is the team with the greatest potential."

Yamal and Mbappé have already become icons in their countries and beyond, representing the face of modern, multicultural Europe.

Mbappé has more experience, has already won the World Cup, and speaks English confidently in public appearances—factors that make him one of the standout faces of this tournament in the United States.

The dazzling Yamal is still keeping up off the pitch, but his numbers against Mbappé on the pitch are striking.

They have faced each other many times over the past two years in "El Clásico" matches, where Mbappé has so far suffered eight defeats against only two wins in ten encounters against Yamal for club and country.