Yamal did a 'wonderful job' for Spain at World Cup, insists De la Fuente

Lamine Yamal

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has lauded teenage sensation Lamine Yamal for his contributions during La Roja's historic 2026 World Cup campaign. The tactical mastermind highlighted the winger's immense maturation and tactical discipline on the global stage, revealing how the Barcelona youngster successfully prioritised collective team glory over individual spotlight to help secure the trophy.

yamal

Reflecting on Yamal’s evolution and impact

Yamal entered the 2026 World Cup as one of the most talked-about teenagers in global football, and he lived up to the billing under De la Fuente’s guidance, despite still nursing an injury at the start of the tournament. The Spain coach was quick to highlight how the youngster adapted to the rigours of the tournament, noting that his mental development was just as significant as his technical brilliance on the pitch.

"Lamine is a footballer who has had an extraordinary experience and a fantastic performance," De la Fuente noted proudly in statements to Marca. "He has matured a great deal, worked immensely hard for the team, and known how to put the general good before individual glory."

Spain v Argentina: Final - FIFA World Cup 2026

De la Fuente hails humanity over individual stardom

Yamal only scored one goal at the tournament, but De la Fuente was still delighted with his overall impact, as he added: "He is a great footballer, very young, who is still developing, but this will make him better in the future. His development has been planned. He came from a period of inactivity and has done a wonderful job."

The manager reiterated that the foundational concept of "La Familia" – originally forged during their successful European Championship run – remained the driving catalyst behind their unstoppable World Cup momentum. "Beyond the unquestionable footballing talent, I would highlight the human quality," he explained. "It is a generous and supportive group. We faced the best national teams in the world, but they ran into the best team in the world."

The 26 spartans: neutralizing the game's elite icons

To illustrate the fierce, collective defensive identity that completely paralysed legendary attacking forces like Kylian Mbappé’s France and Lionel Messi’s Argentina during the knockout phases, De la Fuente drew a striking historical parallel. The coach proudly contrasted his team-first philosophy against the superstar-dependent models of their elite international rivals.

"We said that we had faced Cristiano’s Portugal and Mbappe’s France and were going to play against Messi’s Argentina... but they had to face a selection of 26," the manager stated passionately. "Recalling that famous phrase of the 300 Spartans... well, we are the 26 Spaniards." This unified structural block ultimately restricted an aggressive Argentine frontline to a microscopic total of two shots over 120 gruelling minutes in the final.

Spain FIFA World Cup 2026 Parade

'Best is yet to come'

Asked how he's been processing the past 96 hours as a world champion, De la Fuente said: "I feel emotion and pride, and I feel the affection and happiness of a country united in a common cause. And that makes you feel very, very fulfilled and very satisfied."

Pressed on whether this Spain squad has already hit its ceiling after captivating the world, the coach replied: "Not at all. I'm very demanding; I'm very competitive. I'm one of those who thinks you can always improve. It's a principle we have every day at work, in every training session, in every session we have: always do better than we did yesterday. The best version of this team is still to be seen. The best is yet to come."