At 16 years and 338 days old, Lamine Yamal made history in Spain’s 3-0 victory over Croatia by becoming the youngest player ever to appear in a European Championship. He then set another record during Spain’s 2-1 semi-final win over France, becoming the competition’s youngest goalscorer with a stunning long-range goal.
Yamal has been instrumental in Spain’s journey to the EURO 2024 final, and if he starts against England on Sunday, he will break the record for the youngest player to appear in a major international tournament, surpassing Pele’s 66-year-old record and achieving feats that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo could only have dreamed of at his age.
However, if the final extends into extra time, Spain’s manager, Luis de la Fuente, may have to substitute Yamal. This is because the German Youth Protection Act restricts under-18s from working past a certain time, typically 8pm, leading to reports that Yamal has been ‘barred’ from participating in extra time.