Spain fans are expressing their excitement on X after Luis de la Fuente included Lamine Yamal in his starting XI for their FIFA World Cup clash against Saudi Arabia. The two sides are set to face each other in Group H at the Atlanta Stadium later today (Sunday, June 21).
De la Fuente has made four changes to his starting XI following their shock stalemate against Cabo Verde on June 15. Pedro Porro, Dani Olmo, Alex Baena, and Lamine Yamal make the starting XI, while Marcos Llorente, Fabian Ruiz, Gavi, and Ferran Torres have been dropped.
Thanks for the submission!
Unai Simon starts in goal for Spain, while Marc Cucurella, Aymeric Laporte, Pau Cubarsi, and Pedro Porro make up the defense. The midfield comprises of Rodri, Pedri, and Dani Olmo. Alex Baena, Lamine Yamal, and Mikel Oyarzabal start up front to complete the XI ahead of their FIFA World Cup clash with Saudi Arabia.
Yamal recently recovered from a hamstring injury but wasn’t deemed fit enough to start against Cabo Verde, as he came off the bench in the second half. However, the 18-year-old looked sharp and was arguably Spain’s biggest threat going forward. While the Barcelona ace isn’t expected to play all 90 minutes today, he will aim to make an impact against 61st-ranked Saudi Arabia.
Ahead of the FIFA World Cup contest, one fan posted:
“Yamal, Cubarsi, Olmo and Pedri start. It’s show time.”
Another fan tweeted:
“Yamal is ready to start is first ever world cup match masterclass incoming”
Other fans reacted below:
“As time goes on, I’ll end up there” – Spain star Lamine Yamal believes he will change positions in the future ahead of FIFA World Cup clash vs Saudi Arabia
Spain winger Lamine Yamal believes he will eventually switch positions and play down the middle for club and country, rather than on the right wing. His comments arrived ahead of La Roja’s FIFA World Cup fixture against Saudi Arabia.
Despite only being 18 years of age, Yamal has established himself as one of the most devastating wingers in the world, often finding himself marked by three players at a time. Due to this, he believes a change is inevitable to avoid this. Using Lionel Messi as an example, he told El Mundo (via Barca Blaugranes):
“I think Leo was also marked by three players. And the only place where three players can’t mark you is in the middle. There are too many players there. As time goes on, I’ll end up there, because it’s very easy to defend with three on the wings, but they can’t mark me in the middle.”
He added:
“I can take on defenders one-on-one in the middle. I’m a more decisive player if I turn in the middle than if I turn out wide. Obviously, right now I think it’s better for the team if I’m out wide. But there will come a time when I’ll be more decisive in the middle. And I’ll end up there.”
Yamal has been in fine form ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Spain international garnered 24 goals and 18 assists in 45 appearances across all competitions for Barcelona last season.
Edited by Silas Sud