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Lamine Yamal’s 19th day started pinch a kickabout pinch his mates and took successful a show. He played nan lead domiciled himself, taking centre shape earlier a packed location successful nan World Cup semi-final pre-match property conference. Walking in, he peeled backmost his tracksuit apical for illustration Superman to uncover nan gift that he got: a immense achromatic golden and gem concatenation BA Baracas would person been proud of.
“Actually, no, I bought this for myself truthful it doesn’t count arsenic a gift,” he said, flashing a grin astatine nan room of journalists who he thanked for accepting nan invitation to beryllium location connected his large day. A glint successful his eye, he said he hadn’t had galore presents yet, but he knew what he wanted: “A travel to New York.”
Win connected Wednesday and he will get his wish. But he and his Spain teammates person conscionable sewage to get past France first. No pressure, kid. And though his coach and his skipper had urged him to flight nan “anxiety”, Lamine Yamal insisted location was none. “Pressure? No,” he said.
Instead, location was training successful nan greeting – nan convention started pinch him and chap day boy Víctor Muñoz moving nan gauntlet of teammates pounding them connected nan backmost arsenic they passed – and a capacity successful nan afternoon, a teen astatine easiness and enjoying nan property conference. After it, he said, he had arranged to spell and trim his three-year-old relative Keyne’s hair.
“There are overmuch harder things successful life than a shot match,” he said. “It’s a game, I cognize what I’m tin of and I’m not worried astir anything.”
Some game, though. Asked wherever this classed among each those he has played, he replied: “In nan apical one.”
After nan quarter-final, Lamine Yamal had said that acold from fearing France, if thing France should fearfulness them. Now he said that Jules Koundé, his Barcelona teammate and an force connected Wednesday, had understood that was “normal” and “just football”. “I was asked if location was fearfulness and I said no, evidently not: we’re European champions,” Lamine Yamal said. “We don’t person to talk excessively much, we cognize what we person to do.”
So acold it hasn’t rather happened, and location is simply a hint of nan impulse to remedy that, seen successful his manager’s words. “He’s 19, madre mia,” Luis de la Fuente said. “I would opportunity to him: relax, bask it. Anxiety, out! Let him bask it. Lamine’s awesome time is still to travel astatine this World Cup. I dream it’s tomorrow and, if not, successful nan final.”
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Lamine Yamal hopes truthful too, moreover if he tried not to show it. He was reminded that he had scored some times he faced France before, astatine 16 past 17 years old, but besides that he had scored only 1 astatine nan World Cup truthful far. To which he insisted: “It’s typical to [have] scored successful games for illustration this and of people I judge nan challenge. You batch opportunity I americium not astatine my champion level, truthful you don’t request to expect thing from maine tomorrow. But I dream it will beryllium a typical day.”
There was an arsenic neatly delivered excavation astatine Mariano Rajoy, albeit Lamine Yamal didn’t dignify nan erstwhile Spanish premier curate pinch a sanction aliases overmuch of his time. In a World Cup file which is truthful bad arsenic to beryllium beyond parody moreover nether normal circumstances, Rajoy had written that France were good, but not really French.
“We’re going to play 1 of nan nicest games, there’s nary abstraction to talk astir that,” Lamine Yamal said. “But if shot serves immoderate intent it is for integration. All nan much truthful pinch Spain and France, which are examples. That’s what shot is for; not for talking astir comments for illustration that.”
So mostly they talked football, but besides astir him. This teen who is someway 3 years into his career, an icon already, moreover here. “It’s very bully that shot has fixed maine nan chance to beryllium known successful Chattanooga [where Spain’s training guidelines was]. I ne'er imagined I could spell location successful nan US and beryllium recognised.”
Lamine Yamal: large successful Chattanooga. Big everyplace other successful nan US too, connected advertisements each complete nan place. So large that moreover Keyne has been a prima of this tournament. “He doesn’t realise,” Lamine Yamal said. “When nan cameras move to him he does silly things. He’ll spot it erstwhile he’s older. I’m happy group for illustration him arsenic overmuch arsenic I do. When I spot him, it amuses me.”
And while that is not ever ideal, though location person been moments erstwhile he has admitted that nan work is huge, present he embraced it. He had wanted to do this property conference, to return it on. It’s portion of his life now and he made it portion of his day.
“What would you opportunity to a 10-year-old you?” Lamine Yamal was asked, arsenic if he was immoderate wise aged man. “I don’t know: to beryllium himself and bask it,” he replied. Then location was nan 1 astir destiny and figures, whether he believed successful numerology. After all, it’s his 19 birthday, his garment number is 19 and nan last is connected nan 19th.
“No,” he said, “because nan Portugal coach talked astir that [numerology] … and past Mikel Merino turned up! I’m not worried astir scoring, each that matters is winning, but hopefully a extremity comes tomorrow and it’s a awesome day. What I want arsenic a coming is simply a win.”
