[Saba Sports News] Ahead of the World Cup semi‑final between Spain and France, Lamine Yamal posted on social‑media a photo from last year’s Nations League, when Spain beat France to reach the final, where he scored a brace. His post sparked heated discussion. Later, Spain defeated France once again to advance into the final. La Roja kept up their psychological dominance over France, while Yamal maintained his upper‑hand against France’s star player Kylian Mbappé across all competitions.
Statistics show the pair have faced off 11 times at club and international level, with Yamal winning nine of those matches. The only two defeats came in the second leg of the 2023‑24 Champions League knockout round, where Barcelona lost 4‑1 to Paris Saint‑Germain after being overturned, and last‑season’s La Liga fixture when Barcelona were beaten 2‑1 away by Real Madrid. Apart from those two games, Yamal boasts a perfect record against Mbappé.
Throughout the semi‑final, Yamal failed to get on the scoresheet, yet he undoubtedly out‑performed Mbappé. Spain’s opening goal came from a penalty won by Yamal.
In my opinion, this nine‑win streak results from tactical compatibility, good timing and mental edge, establishing Yamal’s reputation as Mbappé’s modern‑day nemesis. Nevertheless, football results rely on team‑wide efforts, and such individual statistics should not be over‑hyped.