Spain head coach, Luis de la Fuente, has warned that the best of teenage sensation Lamine Yamal is still to come at the FIFA World Cup, insisting the Barcelona winger is yet to reach his usual attacking standards ahead of Friday’s quarter-final showdown against Belgium in Los Angeles.
Yamal, who inspired Spain to European Championship glory two years ago, has not yet produced the kind of performances many expected at the World Cup, where stars such as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland have dominated the headlines with their goalscoring exploits.
“We know that the best version of him, the attacking Lamine, is something that we haven’t quite seen yet in this World Cup. Not to the level that we’re used to,” said De la Fuente.
The 18-year-old has scored once and is yet to register an assist in the tournament after arriving in the United States while still recovering from a late-season injury.
Nevertheless, he has remained a constant threat on Spain’s right wing, troubling defenders with his pace and creativity.
Following Spain’s hard-fought 1-0 victory over Portugal in the round of 16, De la Fuente described Yamal’s display as one of his finest for the national team and an important milestone in his development.
Speaking further on those remarks during Thursday’s press conference, the Spain coach suggested Yamal’s relentless battle with Portugal full-back Nuno Mendes ultimately contributed to the defender leaving the pitch injured in the 55th minute.
“We were facing a powerhouse of a rival, and the defender who was marking him ultimately had to do so much that he was injured,” said De la Fuente.
Despite his young age, De la Fuente believes Yamal has matured through the challenges he has encountered during the tournament and praised the youngster’s determination.
“He doesn’t need extra motivation. You actually sometimes have to calm his intensity. He’s very motivated — he wants to do so much,” said De la Fuente.
Spain head into the quarter-final having kept a perfect defensive record without conceding a goal, but face a stern test against a Belgium side that scored four times against the United States in the previous round.
De la Fuente remains convinced Yamal will soon rediscover his attacking spark.
“He’s going to perform on the attacking front – that’s very clear,” said the manager.
“He’s got incredible potential. And, of course, this is yet to come in some respects.”
