Lamine Yamal has returned to his very best form. The Barcelona star was the absolute protagonist in Spain’s 4-1 victory over Croatia, scoring two goals and providing an assist.
After the match, Yamal recalled the criticism he had received just one month earlier.
“We have to keep going like this. A month ago, you were all saying that I was playing badly… Now I’m calm and enjoying the moment. But I know very well that from one moment to the next, they will come back and say the same things they were saying a month ago,” Yamal told TVE.
His performance against Croatia has once again boosted Yamal’s chances in the Ballon d’Or race, but the Barcelona talent stressed that winning the prestigious award is not his only objective.
“I don’t play just to win the Ballon d’Or. I play for the team, to win matches, for my country and for myself,” he said.
Asked whether his performance against Croatia was another piece of evidence in his favor in the race for the prestigious award, Yamal replied: “Yes, another one.”
Yamal also emphasized the importance of starting matches with maximum concentration.
“We have to play with focus from the very beginning of matches, and that way the results will come naturally,” he added.
Finally, the 19-year-old spoke about the emotions surrounding the return of the World Cup trophy to Spain:
“We are very happy to have brought the World Cup here to Spain. The fans deserved it, so we are happy for them.”