Seventeen-year-old Lamine Yamal stole the spotlight as Spain edged France 5-4 in a Nations League semifinal thriller, securing a showdown with Portugal in Sunday’s final. Yamal netted twice, outshining French stars Désiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé, whose sluggish performances followed PSG’s recent Champions League victory.
Spain raced to a 5-1 lead, starting with Nico Williams scoring from a Mikel Oyarzabal assist. Mikel Merino doubled the lead minutes later, and Yamal converted a penalty after being fouled by Adrien Rabiot. Pedri added a fourth with a sublime finish, and Yamal struck again after Kylian Mbappé’s penalty narrowed the gap.
France staged a late fightback with Rayan Cherki scoring on his debut, followed by a Daniel Vivian own goal and a stoppage-time strike from Randal Kolo Muani. Despite the scare, Spain held on.
The match was the highest-scoring in Nations League history. Defender Dean Huijsen impressed in just his third Spain appearance, though his goal was ruled offside.
“It was a great game. In the end, it was a little close, but we played very well and I think deserved to win,” Yamal said post-match. Spain now prepares to face Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal, who beat hosts Germany 2-1.
