Lamine Yamal Names Who He Wants Spain to Face in the World Cup Final
- Lamine Yamal said he hopes Spain face Lionel Messi and Argentina in the World Cup final
- Spain reached the final after beating France 2-0 to keep alive their hopes of a second World Cup title
- A meeting with Messi would be the first competitive encounter between the Barcelona stars
Spain have booked their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, and teenage star Lamine Yamal has made it clear who he hopes joins La Roja in Sunday's showpiece.
Luis de la Fuente's side defeated tournament favourites France 2-0 at Dallas Stadium to secure a place in the final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Source: Getty Images
It marks only the second time Spain have reached a World Cup final, with the 2010 champions now aiming to lift the trophy for a second time.
A first-half penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal and a superb finish by Pedro Porro sealed victory over Didier Deschamps' side, ensuring there will be no repeat of the 2022 World Cup final.
Although Yamal did not get on the scoresheet, the Barcelona youngster played an influential role in another impressive performance from Spain.
Yamal Hoping to Meet Lionel Messi
Spain could face England in a repeat of the Euro 2024 final, which they won 2-1, but Yamal has admitted he would love the opportunity to come up against Argentina captain Lionel Messi.
Speaking before Spain's semi-final victory, the 19-year-old expressed his admiration for the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner.
"Facing Leo Messi in a World Cup final would be fantastic. I hope so!" Yamal said, according to Fabrizio Romano.
For that dream to become reality, defending champions Argentina must defeat England in Wednesday's semi-final.
Messi heads into the match in outstanding form, having scored eight goals in six World Cup appearances, and remains the driving force behind Argentina's title defence.
A potential meeting would also be historic, as Messi and Yamal have never faced each other in a competitive match.
A Dream Match Awaits
Should England reach the final instead, Yamal would come up against his new Barcelona teammate Anthony Gordon, as well as former Barcelona forward Marcus Rashford.
If Argentina progress, the young winger would have the opportunity to face the player many believe is the greatest footballer of all time and the man regarded as his inspiration at Barcelona.
Yamal has previously described Neymar as his football idol because of his style of play, while insisting Messi is the greatest player in history.
"Obviously, my idol is Neymar because I like watching him play, but Messi is the best, and there is no discussion about that," he previously said.
However, Yamal will never get the chance to face Neymar on the international stage after the Brazilian retired from international football following Brazil's Round of 16 defeat to Norway.
Source: YEN.com.gh
