With AP
Despite already being one of the best players on the planet, teen sensation Lamine Yamal still hasn’t broken out in his first World Cup, scoring only one goal for Spain.
His teammates and coaches say they’re quite satisfied with his overall tournament performance, which began with limited playing time in the group matches while he returned from a hamstring injury incurred in April with Barcelona.
“Maybe he hasn’t contributed goals, but he brings all the attack,” midfielder Gavi said.
“He’s incredible. I hope that now if we win, hopefully in the semifinals or the final, too, if we win, then he scores goals so people understand what he does for us.”
Spain coach Luis De La Fuente praised Yamal for an excellent two-way performance against Portugal.
“We know the best version of him, the attacking Lamine, is something we haven’t seen yet in this World Cup.,” De La Fuente said.
“He had to work on the defensive side quite a bit because we were facing a powerhouse of a rival. I think this was an exercise in maturity for Lamine.
“He’s going to perform on the attacking front, that’s clear. He’s got incredible potential, and it’s going to come.”
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