Lamine Yamal settles beef with French player after inspiring Spain to Euro 2024 final – ‘He knows’

Spain and Barcelona star Lamine Yamal confirmed he belonged on the world stage with a wondergoal against France in the Euro 2024 semi-finals. He also showed a spikey side to his nature, ensuring that French midfielder Adrien Rabiot knew about the goal too.

Before the match, Rabiot had said that Lamine Yamal had to ‘do more than he had so far’ to reach the final, and shortly after, Lamine Yamal put out an Instagram story effectively telling the Juventus star to remain quiet.

After the match, Lamine Yamal could be seen shouting ‘speak, speak now’ into the camera, with few doubting that it was directed at Rabiot. The 16-year-old pretty much erased all doubt.

“My celebration? It was for the person who knows it is for him. I am very happy for the victory and for helping the team, which is in the final. In the end we should not give importance to any of that. I have helped to the team.”

Many of the questions aimed at him were about the goal, but Lamine Yamal was keen to emphasize that it was about the team, and pointed to the reaction after going behind.

“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but the best of all is that we knew how to react after France’s goal,” he told Marca.

“The play and the goal were special, but for what they meant for the team’s victory. It is the first in the Euro Cup, but I hope it is not the last.”

Against France it was the first time that Spain had gone behind at a tournament under Luis de la Fuente, but Lamine Yamal’s goal changed the tide, as Spain came after Les Bleus. La Roja now await the Netherlands or England in the final, and neither will be particularly looking forward to taking them on.