Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said seeing 16-year-old winger Lamine Yamal's performance against France on Tuesday in their Euro 2024 semi-final triumph was like watching "a genius".
Yamal scored a brilliant goal to level Randal Kolo Muani's opener for Les Bleus, with Dani Olmo then netting what proved to be the winner for Spain.
Named player of the match, Yamal became the youngest-ever male Euros goalscorer. "We have seen a genius, the product of a genius," De la Fuente told reporters. "He's a player we have to take care of -- I have to give him the advice to keep working with the same humility and keep his feet on the floor. "He would keep growing but this maturity and attitude at such a young age is like that of a more experienced player. "We are lucky he is Spanish and we can enjoy him for many more years." Yamal became the competition's youngest player in Spain's first match against Croatia and also provided three assists on his team's run to the final.
Spain will face England or the Netherlands in the Berlin final on July 14, a day after Yamal's 17th birthday. De la Fuente reserved praise for the rest of his team, including Olmo. "We've been talking about Lamine but I have 26 great players," continued the coach. "I know (Olmo) very well and the potential he has...