Lamine Yamal may be in line for a belated birthday present today.
The Spain winger turned 19 yesterday, just one day after my own birthday — though, it must be said, he has quite a few years on me in the youth department. Even so, it remains hard to process that he is still a teenager, given how long he already feels like part of football’s biggest stage.
That early rise has inevitably brought a level of expectation that would be heavy for any young player, let alone one still at the beginning of his career.
On my recent radio appearance, we touched on the discussion in the Spanish media about whether Yamal had lost some of his sparkle. To be honest, I found the whole idea pretty absurd.
It is true that he has not been prolific in front of goal at this tournament, and he has not produced the kind of defining moments associated with players such as Kylian Mbappe. But that does not mean he has been anything less than entertaining and influential.
Too much of the conversation seems to be driven by numbers rather than by actually watching him. In most of Spain’s matches, Yamal has been sharp, inventive and difficult to contain, even if the goals have not quite followed.
Perhaps tonight will be the occasion when he finally adds that finishing touch.
