Lamine Yamal has one goal and zero assists through six World Cup appearances. Spain are in the semifinals for the first time since they won the trophy in 2010. Those two facts sitting side by side tell you everything about how this tournament has unfolded for La Roja.
The Barcelona winger was the tournament's marquee name before a ball was kicked. At Euro 2024, he backed it up — one goal and four assists across seven matches as Spain lifted the trophy. The expectation was more of the same, on the biggest stage of all. Instead, he's been peripheral. Present, occasionally dangerous, but not the axis everything spins around.
Spain don't need him to be the axis
That might actually be the story here. Spain's attack hasn't stalled without Yamal pulling the strings — it's evolved. Mikel Oyarzabal leads the team with three goals. Marc Cucurella has chipped in two assists from left back. La Roja aren't a one-man show, and six games into a World Cup, that depth looks like a genuine strength rather than a consolation.
There's also the matter of age and context. Yamal turns 19 on July 13 — the same date as the World Cup final. This is his first World Cup, and adjusting to that environment takes time, even for a player who made his Barcelona debut at 15 and won the Euros at 16. The pressure and pace of knockout football at this level is a different thing entirely.
For those tracking Spain's semifinal odds against France, the Yamal factor cuts both ways. If he clicks into form — and there's no reason to think he can't — Spain's ceiling gets significantly higher. But the more telling detail is that they've reached the last four without needing him at his best. That's the sign of a complete squad, not a team built around one teenager.
Spain face France in the semifinal. Yamal still hasn't registered an assist. He'll be 19 years old before the final. The tournament isn't done with him yet.
