Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has backed Lamine Yamal to become a football legend in the country after the Barcelona winger scored another outstanding goal in Spain’s 3-1 Nations League victory over Czechia on Saturday.
The 19-year-old opened the scoring in the sixth minute in Oviedo, cutting inside onto his left foot before curling the ball into the top corner. Spain went on to secure their third consecutive win in Group A3, moving three points clear of England at the top of the table.
“Lamine never stops surprising us – all of us,” De la Fuente said. “He has so much talent and so much quality. He still has a lot to offer us, too, and there is a long way to go until we see the best Lamine, even if he is making giant strides all the time.”
Yamal has scored in each of Spain’s last three matches, finding the net in the opening six minutes against Czechia after scoring in the second minute against both England and Croatia. His four goals during the international break have helped the reigning World Cup winners make a perfect start to their Nations League campaign.
The Spain coach also backed Yamal’s credentials for the Ballon d’Or, which will be awarded later this month. The winger’s recent form has strengthened his case for the individual prize, although De la Fuente suggested the strength of the Spanish contenders made it difficult to single out one player.
“If he was the only Spanish player nominated for the Ballon d’Or, I would say yes, he’s best in the world,” he said. “He does everything well. If he’s not the best, then it’s because of competition from the other Spanish players, and even then he’s one of the best for sure.
“Lamine is on the path to becoming a legend.”
Yamal was substituted at half-time with Spain leading 2-0, Rodri having added a second goal. Spain lost some of their control after the break, allowing Czechia to reduce the deficit through Jiri Sláma before Mikel Merino restored the two-goal advantage late on. Ladislav Krejčí was sent off for the visitors, while Ryan Naderi had an effort ruled out for offside following an error by David Raya.
De la Fuente acknowledged that his side had struggled to maintain their first-half level but he referenced the demands of the international schedule. Spain has played four matches in 10 days, and the coach said protecting his players had been a consideration when making substitutions.
“The first half went very well, but the second didn’t,” he said. “The substitutions didn’t really help either. Everyone’s attitude was good, but when you keep bringing on players – new faces – it doesn’t help maintain continuity in the game.
“Then again, four matches in 10 days is tough. Today it was about winning and putting in a good performance, but also about protecting the players.”
