Spain’s young talent, Lamine Yamal, achieved a remarkable feat by winning the European Championship and earning the tournament’s best young player award just one day after celebrating his 17th birthday.
Most of Yamal’s contributions came while he was still 16, but he sealed his impact on Spain’s victory by setting up Nico Williams for the opening goal in a 2-1 triumph over England in the final on Sunday.
“This is the best birthday gift I could have hoped for. It’s a dream come true,” Yamal said. “It became challenging when they equalized, but our team has a fighting spirit that always brings us back.”
England’s substitute Cole Palmer leveled the score, but Mikel Oyarzabal secured Spain’s victory in the 86th minute.
Yamal assisted Williams’ goal in the 47th minute by maneuvering past Luke Shaw and delivering a pass for the Athletic Bilbao winger to strike into the net first-time. Yamal also forced two impressive saves from England’s goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
“Lamine is incredible, as everyone has seen throughout this tournament,” Williams commented. “He has limitless potential. Besides being a talented player, he’s a wonderful person.”
Yamal made history as the youngest player to participate in the European Championship, the youngest to score in the tournament, and the youngest to appear in a final.
Yamal plays for Barcelona, following in the footsteps of his idol Lionel Messi, after progressing through the club’s renowned La Masia academy. He also holds the distinction of being the youngest goalscorer in the Spanish league.
In his debut European Championship, Yamal concluded with four assists and one goal.
