Lamine Yamal, the 18-year-old forward who entered the World Cup nursing a hamstring injury, was named in Spain’s starting lineup for their Group H clash against Saudi Arabia in Atlanta on Sunday. The decision signals Spain’s desperation for a first win after they were held to a shock 0-0 draw by Cape Verde in their opener – a result in which the European champions were repeatedly denied by the heroic Cape Verde goalkeeper.
Spain boss Luis de la Fuente, asked about comparisons between Yamal and Lionel Messi or Diego Maradona, refused to draw parallels but had no problem likening the teenager to “geniuses” Salvador Dali and Michelangelo. “The worst mistake we could make would be to compare him to anyone,” De la Fuente said. “He is in the midst of a process. He has exceptional footballing maturity and lives it all with total naturalness.”
“Lamine Yamal starts Spain's World Cup clash with Saudi Arabia after recovering from injury.”
Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, will be buoyed by a promising 1-1 draw against World Cup stalwarts Uruguay, thanks to Abdulelah Al-Amri’s goal. They lined up with a conservative back-five to try and keep Spain at bay, aiming to replicate the defensive discipline that earned them a point. However, they managed only 33 percent possession against Uruguay and had just three shots, raising questions about whether they can withstand Spain’s trademark passing game. Against a side that holds possession as resolutely as Spain, Saudi Arabia’s best hope may lie in counter-attacks – if they can hold them off.
Spain entered the tournament as one of the most-fancied sides but have looked too dependent on Yamal, who only featured off the bench against Cape Verde. Now starting his first World Cup match, he immediately made an impact, shrugging off a defender before whipping in a decent ball that was cleared away.
Elsewhere in Group H, Cape Verde will face Uruguay later on Sunday, while other groups produced dramatic results: the Netherlands hammered Sweden 5-1, Germany snatched a last-minute 2-1 win over Ivory Coast, Curacao secured an unthinkable 0-0 draw with Ecuador, and Japan thumped Tunisia 4-0.