The Yamal Effect: Spain’s Perfect Record When Lamine Yamal Starts

2026-07-21

The 2026 World Cup final saw Spain clinch the title with a gritty 1-0 victory over Argentina, further cementing 19-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal’s status as a generational talent. With this World Cup triumph, Yamal has now started in 13 international tournament matches, boasting a perfect winning record in every single one of them.

In reality, Spain’s dominance over the past two major tournaments has been near-flawless, recording 14 wins and a solitary draw against Cape Verde. Yamal only missed out on a perfect start-to-finish record due to a brief period of injury recovery, which saw him appear as a substitute, and a tactical rotation during the final group stage match against Albania in the previous tournament.

Throughout the 2024 European Championship and the 2026 World Cup, whenever Yamal has been in the starting XI, Spain has been unstoppable:

Euro 2024 Group Stage: 3-0 vs. Croatia (1 assist)
Euro 2024 Group Stage: 1-0 vs. Italy
Euro 2024 Round of 16: 4-1 vs. Georgia (1 assist)
Euro 2024 Quarterfinal: 2-1 vs. Germany (1 assist)
Euro 2024 Semifinal: 2-1 vs. France (1 goal)
Euro 2024 Final: 2-1 vs. England (1 assist)
2026 World Cup Group Stage: 4-0 vs. Saudi Arabia (1 goal)
2026 World Cup Group Stage: 1-0 vs. Uruguay
2026 World Cup Round of 32: 3-0 vs. Austria
2026 World Cup Round of 16: 1-0 vs. Portugal
2026 World Cup Quarterfinal: 2-1 vs. Belgium
2026 World Cup Semifinal: 2-0 vs. France (won penalty)
2026 World Cup Final: 1-0 vs. Argentina