Lamine Yamal has just turned 18. But he is the one who carries Spain's dream of winning the World Cup for the second time. As Spain begins its World Cup journey on Monday, he has already established himself as a reliable player. In the last few years, he has proven to be the biggest star for 'La Rosa'. There is interest and attraction towards him from all sides. 

Not only Spain, but also the kind of game he has played for Barcelona is equally appreciated. Yamal had hoisted the Palestinian flag in celebration when Barcelona won the Spanish La Liga. After that, he also found himself in controversy. The way he celebrated his 18th birthday was also criticized. 

Even with a few days left before the World Cup, it had caught everyone's attention. For Spain, it had become like a national issue. There were also doubts about his participation in the World Cup. But now, as a teenager, he has been scheduled to play in the 2026 World Cup. Barcelona fans consider him the only new version of Lionel Messi. 

So this player is expected to perform in this World Cup in a way that will include him in the list of successful players. As soon as he was included in the Spanish team playing the World Cup, his first reaction was, ‘Finally, the day has come when the dream of playing the World Cup will come true.’ Yamal was not 100% fit, but coach Luis de La did not think twice about keeping him in the team. 

Yamal was also afraid at one time, that he would lose the World Cup. Now, the same coach de La says that Yamal is ready for the first game. And at this time, the coach knows that many people have a lot of faith in Yamal, so this can also create pressure. While announcing the team, the coach had said, ‘He has just turned 18.’

The coach further said about him, ‘Yamal has already shown himself to be a mature player. He has already emerged as a successful player. But we need to give him as much time as possible. Now, why is it more necessary? He is just returning to the field after recovering from an injury. We just want him to play well.’

‘Don’t put too much pressure on him right now. All the media is watching him now. Football fans around the world are watching him. In Spain, he is already a big star. We will give him all the time he needs and we will not hesitate to develop him into a great player full of confidence.’ Yamal himself also believes that he is starting to get used to the pressure. 

He was just 15 years old when he made his debut for Barcelona. He is the youngest player to play in La Liga for the Catalan club. Everyone is in awe of his talent. Everyone is convinced by the way he controls the ball and plays the role of a playmaker. He has already spent four seasons in La Liga. 

In Barcelona’s title journey this time, he was the joint top scorer with Ferran Torres, scoring 15 goals. His role is also to create goal opportunities. He is also an expert in dribbling. That's why he was the league's best player last season. He says, 'I was just playing next door to my neighbor's house four years ago, but now it feels like I've been playing for a long time.'

'Isn't this guy playing in the World Cup now?' He asks the opposite question. Because of his play, it didn't take Yamal long to break into the Spanish national team. He also got the opportunity to debut in 2023, when he was 16 years old. In this way, he not only became the youngest player to debut for Spain, but also the youngest player to score a goal. A year later, he became the youngest player to play for Spain in the European Championship. 

The story didn't stop there, Spain also became the Euro champion. He was also named the best young player in that tournament. The World Cup jersey with his name on it is now the best-selling in Spain. The same applies to Spanish fans around the world. But such success and popularity have not come without controversy. Yamal himself is Muslim and his father is from Morocco. 

The fact that he carried only the Palestinian flag while celebrating Barcelona's league win made headlines. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick criticized Yamal at the time. Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz also expressed disappointment. He alleged that Yamal's actions had created hatred. There are many who criticize the way Yamal celebrated his birthday. 

When Spain plays its first game in this World Cup, he will once again be in everyone's eyes. Spain needs its best player. In 2022, Spain was defeated by Morocco in the last 16. Spain then won Euro 2024 in Germany. Spain is also the winner of the 2023 Nations League. But in 2025, it was limited to runners-up. 

Spain has not been able to advance beyond the last 16 since 2010. In 2010, Spain won the World Cup on one occasion. This time Spain is in Group H of the league stage. Spain's opponent is Cape Verde in their first match on Monday in Atlanta. Spain will then face Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.