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Lamine Yamal Breaks Pele’s International Final Record Against England
Spain forward, Lamine Yamal became the youngest player to ever feature in a FIFA World Cup or UEFA European Championship final on Sunday against England, surpassing the record set by Brazil legend Pele in 1958.
Yamal, who just turned 17 on Saturday, marked his birthday by assisting Nico Williams for the opening goal in a crucial match where his team defeated England 2-1. Spain clinched their fourth Euro title, surpassing Germany and setting a new record.
Pele, who passed away in 2022, was only 17 years and 249 days old when he a remarkable appearance in the 1958 World Cup final for Brazil, where he scored two goals in a 5-2 victory over.
For the second time within a week, Yamal has exceeded a record previously held by Pele. In the recent victory against France, he achieved the distinction of being the youngest player to compete in a major national team tournament semifinal and he also scored, leading to praise from the Pele Foundation, responsible for overseeing the iconic striker’s legacy.
“The Pelé Foundation congratulates Lamine Yamal on this significant milestone in his career and wishes that this is the first step of a long and victorious journey,” they said.
It has been a tournament of records for Yamal.
He became the youngest player to ever play at the Euros in Spain’s opener against Croatia and then the youngest scorer in the finals, when he netted in the semifinal win over France.
He has a total of four goal contributions in Germany three assists an outstanding long-range goal in France. Additionally, he was awarded the Player of the Match in the triumph of Les Bleus on Tuesday.
“We have seen a genius, the product of a genius,” Spain coach De la Fuente said in a news conference after that match.
Yamal has been at Barça since he was seven years old and made his first team debut last year while he was still 15.
Last season, at the age of 16, he made 50 appearances in all competitions for his club, scoring seven goals and assisting 10 more.
