Yamal makes Ballon d'Or 'statement' in Spain win

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente says Lamine Yamal delivered a Ballon d'Or "statement" successful Thursday's end-to-end 5-4 UEFA Nations League semifinal triumph implicit France successful Stuttgart.

Yamal, 17, scored doubly arsenic Spain built up a 5-1 pb earlier France fought backmost precocious on, but La Roja held connected to scope Sunday's last against Portugal.

The fixture had been billed successful immoderate quarters arsenic a conflict for the Ballon d'Or betwixt Barcelona guardant Yamal, who won LaLiga and the Copa del Rey with his club, and Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembélé, who won a treble.

"Lamine Yamal has made a connection contiguous and shown that helium should triumph the Ballon d'Or," De la Fuente told RTVE aft Yamal had been named MVP.

"He's the champion subordinate successful the satellite and, successful my opinion, of course, helium deserves to triumph the Ballon d'Or."

Speaking earlier the game, Yamal said helium was blessed for the semifinal to beryllium sold arsenic a conflict for the Ballon d'Or "if that's what radical want," though helium added the grant should spell to the champion subordinate crossed the full year.

He surely did his chances nary harm against Les Bleus, though, helping acceptable up the opening extremity for Nico Williams, with Mikel Merino adding Spain's 2nd earlier half-time.

The Barça teen past scored doubly aft the break, either broadside of a Pedri extremity and a Kylian Mbappé effort for France, arsenic Spain built up a four-goal lead.

Dembelé, meanwhile, was substituted aft Spain's 5th extremity having made small interaction connected the crippled conscionable 5 days aft helping PSG triumph the Champions League.

"I ever accidental the aforesaid happening to mum, that I effort to springiness my all," Yamal told RTVE erstwhile asked however his show volition power his Ballon d'Or chances.

"That is what motivates maine and what gets maine up successful the morning. It is wherefore I play football. It's ever champion to talk connected the pitch. Dembelé's a large player, we saw that successful the Champions League, but I americium blessed that we're the ones successful the final."

De la Fuente was not the lone idiosyncratic pushing Yamal's lawsuit aft the game.

Athletic Club winger Williams said helium hopes Yamal wins the Ballon d'Or, portion the president of the Spanish Football Federation [RFEF], Rafael Louzán, said the youngster's show "proved" helium merits it.

"It's not conscionable the 2 goals, it's everything helium does," Louzán said.

"Everything helium does surprises you again and again. He inactive has a agelong mode to go, too, and I anticipation they springiness him the prize helium deserves, the Ballon d'Or."

Despite Yamal's efforts, Spain were hanging connected astatine the extremity arsenic France astir pulled disconnected an astonishing comeback. A superb onslaught from Rayan Cherki, connected planetary debut, a Dani Vivian ain extremity and a header from Randal Kolo Muani got them backmost wrong 1 goal, but they ran retired of clip successful the end.

"France are a large broadside with satellite people players, it's mean that they unit you to endure successful moments," Yamal added.

"They person players that support going and propulsion you until the end. But we are truly blessed to triumph the game."

Holders Spain, who besides won the European Championships past summer, present look Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal successful the last successful Munich connected Sunday, portion France volition conscionable hosts Germany successful the 3rd spot playoff.

"It volition beryllium an adjacent last against Portugal, conscionable similar this game," Yamal said. "They person satellite people players similar France.

"It's a crippled betwixt 2 truly bully sides and I anticipation the champion squad wins and we instrumentality the trophy backmost to Spain."