Adrien Rabiot appeared to question Lamine Yamal’s impact ahead of Spain’s clash with France on Tuesday night, but the 16-year-old had the last laugh by helping his nation reach the Euro 2024 final
Spain wonderkid Lamine Yamal appeared to brutally tell Adrien Rabiot to “speak now” after helping his country beat France to reach the Euro 2024 final.
The 16-year-old wonderkid scored a stunning equaliser in the first-half of Tuesday night’s semi-final to help inspire his country to a memorable 2-1 comeback win over their European rivals. It was the perfect response from the teenager as, in the build-up to the clash, France midfielder Rabiot appeared to question Yamal’s impact at the Euros.
In a press conference, the French midfielder said: “If Lamine Yamal wants to play in the Euro final with Spain, he will have to do much more against us than he has done so far. “We will put pressure on him so that he is not comfortable.”
But the teenager hit back in style after another remarkable performance in which he became the youngest ever goalscorer in Euros history. After the full-time whistle, he headed straight for the TV cameras, and repeatedly said “speak now”. The two-word message appeared to be a dig at the Juventus star.
It was just one incident in a chaotic match that saw Spain overcome an early deficit to beat France and reach the final of Euro 2024. Yamal was the star of the show as he became the youngest scorer in European Championship history.
Yamal – at the tender age of 16 years and 362 days – struck a stunning equaliser and Dani Olmo quickly added what turned out to be the winner as Spain recovered from Randal Kolo Muani’s header to win 2-1 and book a date with England or the Netherlands in Sunday’s final.
Kolo Muani had headed France in front from close range but Les Bleus were upstaged by the Barcelona teenager, who turns 17 on Saturday.
It was a moment to cherish as Yamal jinked to his left then moved to his right, allowing space back on his left foot to beat Mike Maignan from 25 yards with a precise curling shot that went in off a post.
Spain’s victory saw them become the first side to win six consecutive games at the Euros without the need for penalties.
After the game, Spain boss Luis De la Fuente insisted he doesn’t care whether his team meets England or Netherlands for the right to become European champions. De la Fuente said: “I don’t care about the Netherlands or England.
“We want to continue making history, we don’t want to relax. I have plenty of faith in this team because my players are exemplary. Individually they are excellent but collectively they are absolutely insatiable.
“I am proud to be able to manage these players. I know we can play great football, we’ve seen it throughout the tournament, but I also think this team can be even better.
“We saw a touch of genius from Yamal but I want him to continue to work with humility. I hope we can enjoy him for years to come.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.