16-year-old “gift from God”: Record-breaking teen Yamal crashes fiery Croatian party

He has schoolwork to do and his trainer is religious with him: Lamine Yamal enchants friends and foes in Berlin. And he’s only 16 years old. Others score the goals in Spain’s victory over Croatia, but the sensational teenager breaks a record – and has a date with the final.

Summer, sun, European Championship atmosphere. Everything is set for a big party in Berlin on Saturday. A party for Croatia, mind you, who want to make a splash at the European Football Championships for perhaps the last time with the golden generation around superstar Luka Modric. Tens of thousands of Croatians who have traveled to Berlin are celebrating themselves and their team all day long. During the fan march, which sets off from West Berlin’s Breitscheidplatz towards the Olympic Stadium, around 7,000 supporters of the “Vatreni” (“Fiery Ones”), as the Croatian national team is aptly called, are making a lot of noise and setting off pyrotechnics.

But on the pitch, Spain is the ice-cold and much-quoted party crasher. In the clash of the next European Championship favorites, Croatia must be counted among them after their 2:1 win against Portugal in the dress rehearsal before the tournament, after the DFB team’s brilliant start on Friday evening, an efficient “La Roja” dominates and deservedly wins 3:0 (3:0). One player in particular stands out: a 16-year-old teenager. The first to ever play in a European Championship. Lamine Yamal becomes the youngest European Championship player ever and lets Spain dream.

He noticed a “great enthusiasm” in his team, said Spain’s captain Álvaro Morata after the game on MagentaTV, and was perhaps thinking primarily of Yamal. He also thanked the Spanish fans, who were increasingly able to keep up with the Croatian dominance in the stands after their team scored goals. The atmosphere was “wonderful”. They “did a great job” and appeared very united, said Fabián Ruiz.

First Croatia’s fans on top

Luka Modric, now 38 years old, wants to give it one more try, he wants to finally make his national team career truly golden. In the 2023 Nations League, they almost won a title again (after the runner-up finish in 2018 and bronze in 2022), but in the final the team lost to Spain on penalties. At European championships, however, the “Vatreni” had not performed so well, but that should change this time. Especially because all Croatians are also playing for their national hero Modric, who is slowly getting on in years.

One advantage of Croatia is that they have played together for years, especially in midfield, and understand each other perfectly. In addition, they have a lot of experience. The fact that this is not only a positive thing, however, has to do with the age of the main players. Mateo Kovacic was allowed into the starting eleven for Manchester City a few times this year, but also had to sit on the bench. Marcelo Brozovic plays in a weak league in Saudi Arabia with Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mané for Al-Nassr.

The tireless Modric was relegated to a supporting role at Real Madrid. Even in the defeat against Spain, he was not the dominant conductor and brilliant passing machine of days gone by. He was barely able to develop when he was chained up by guard dog Fabián Ruiz, who was later named player of the match. The Olympic Stadium was firmly in Croatian hands, and the “Vatreni” supporters made noise from the start, setting fires again and again. Every duel won was celebrated frenetically.

Spain’s lead from nowhere

After a balanced opening phase, it is becoming increasingly clear: Croatia’s oldies can no longer keep up with the Spaniards. Be it the 20-year-old Pedri in midfield, or the boss Rodri from Manchester City at number six. But above all it is the teenage sensation Lamine Yamal. With his lightning-fast runs, unpredictable body feints and power dribbling, the 16-year-old poses huge problems for the Croatian defense.

After the 1-0 by Alvero Morata (29th) with the first serious attack (the long pass comes from Modric’s guard Fabian of all people), Croatia almost responds, but Kovacic misses. Then, just 60 seconds later, Yamal makes his first big appearance. Always available on the right wing, he waits for a little too much space to break through. If he succeeds, he is almost unstoppable.

This time he dances around two Croatians in the right corner of the penalty area, but breaks off the dribble quickly because he sees that the path to the goal is blocked. His pass into the middle finds its way to Pedri via a detour. From the 16-year-old to the 20-year-old. Wonderful. Pedri passes to Fabián, who wets Modric and two other Croatians with him, his slightly deflected shot hits the bottom right. Spain’s fans dance while the many Croatians in the arena fall silent.

Lamine Yamal, the “gift of God”

At the most unnecessary time for Croatia, seconds before half-time, the score is 3-0 and this time Yamal is the direct provider of the assist. After a short corner, the teenager crosses from the right in front of the goal. The ex-Leverkusen player Daniel Carvajal sprints to the ball and pokes it over the line. Like the DFB eleven, an efficient Spain leads 3-0 at half-time – but their opponents Croatia are of a different caliber to Scotland.

“He is a boy with incredible talent. It’s almost like a gift from God, only a few players have his quality,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente recently enthused about Yamal. The winger has now scored two goals and provided five assists in eight international matches, and in September 2023, at the age of 16 years and 57 days, he became the youngest player and goalscorer for the Spanish national team. At an age when others go to school and only have silly ideas, girls or boys, on their minds. However, Yamal is also currently doing his secondary school leaving certificate and traveled to Germany with homework. When he is on the road, he has online lessons.

At the age of seven, Yamal came from his hometown club CF La Toreta to FC Barcelona’s “La Masia” training facility. They actually wanted to protect the youngster there, but now he is enchanting the Berlin Olympic Stadium. He says his biggest role model is – how could it be otherwise – Lionel Messi, but he also learned a lot from the Brazilian Neymar.

In the second half, the game slows down. But Yamal still hasn’t had enough. Again and again, he races towards the penalty area at incredible speed. In the 53rd minute, Pedri takes the ball into the right corner of the box. Yamal aims for the far corner and shoots with a technically demanding shot – but Croatian keeper Dominik Livakovic reacts brilliantly. Just a minute later, again after a short corner, Yamal suddenly weaves his way through on the left, and Morata’s sharp cross goes just past the post with his knee.

Yamal is looking forward to the final for a special reason

In the end, it was fitting for the Croatians’ performance that neither an incredible triple chance (55th minute) nor a penalty (80th minute) led to a draw. Another veteran, Ivan Perisic, ran into the penalty area too early when Bruno Petkovic missed the penalty, crossed the ball and Petkovic did not let the second chance pass him by. But after VAR was used, the goal did not count and the frustration on the pitch and in the stands was great.

A bitter blow for Croatia and its ageing superstar Luka Modric, a statement win for Spain: And who knows how far Lamine Yamal will go in the tournament. If Spain and Germany finish first in their groups and win their round of 16 matches, they will meet in the quarter-finals. The 16-year-old has saved his first goal at the European Championships, and we can already look forward to his next game and the coming – possibly 20 – years with this winger.

And Yamal has an important reason why he doesn’t want a possible quarter-final against the DFB team to be his last appearance at the tournament. He wants to celebrate his birthday in Germany. He will be 17 the day before the final.