Lamine Yamal of Spain entered the Pele-Messi club with the first goal of the FIFA World Cup, becoming only the second player to … | Football News:
Lamine Yamal marked his first World Cup start with a goal as Spain beat Saudi Arabia 4-0 in Atlanta on Sunday and registered their first win of the tournament.The 18-year-old forward scored in the 11th minute, sliding in at the far post to convert a low cross. The goal made him the eighth-youngest scorer in FIFA World Cup history and helped Spain bounce back after being held to a 0-0 draw by Cape Verde in their opening match.Yamal’s name is already part of the list that includes players like Argentina Lionel Messi and Pele of Brazil.At 18 years and 343 days, Yamal scored his first World Cup goal 14 days younger than Messi when he scored his first World Cup goal at 18 years and 357 days.According to Opta, Yamal is only the second player aged 18 or younger to score the opening goal for his country in a World Cup match. The other is Pele, who was 17 when he scored for Brazil against Wales in 1958.Yamal missed the end of the Barcelona season due to a hamstring injury and came off the bench in Spain’s opening match against Cape Verde.His place in the starting XI was the subject of much discussion ahead of the match in Saudi Arabia, and Spain coach Luis de la Fuente decided to give him a start. The decision quickly paid off as Yamal opened the scoring in the early part of the game.Despite his age, Yamal is already considered one of the top young footballers in the world. He also played an important role in the victory of the European Championship in Spain in 2024, entering the tournament at the age of 16.Spain’s win gets their World Cup campaign back on track after a disappointing result in their opening game.
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