Uefa Euro 2024 record-breaker Lamine Yamal has described his sensational goal against France as “pure elation” after helping Spain reach the final in Berlin on Sunday.
Yamal smashed Pele’s record as the youngest scorer at a major tournament with a curling long-range strike, equalising from well outside the area in the 21st minute at Munich’s Allianz Arena.
“I need to help my team and that’s what I tried to do today,” said the 16-year-old. “I was aiming for exactly the top corner where my shot went in and that was a feeling of pure elation.
“I try not to think too much about what’s going on. I just want to enjoy myself and help the team. Getting to the final is really special. I was really happy after the final whistle. It’s the dream come true.”
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Lamine Yamal records
Pele set that record at the 1958 Fifa World Cup, where the Brazil icon had also been the youngest ever player in a Euro or World Cup semi-final until Yamal started against France.
The Barcelona midfielder had already provided two assists in Germany but few could have expected him to have made such a dramatic impact on a game against opponents many had considered favourites for the title.
Randal Kolo Muani had given France an eighth-minute lead before Yamal equalised and Dani Olmo fired the winner four minutes later.
Yamal will turn 17 on Saturday, a day before Spain bid to record a seventh win at Euro 2024 against England or the Netherlands in the final at Berlin’s Olympiastadion.
Euro 2024 final: Spain face ‘the best’
“I came here to win all the matches so that I could celebrate my birthday here in Germany with all of my team-mates,” Yamal said.
“I’m thrilled that we are in the final but we still haven’t done the most important thing, which is win this. There were difficult moments for us out there.
“None of us expected to concede that early. When you reach the final, you have to play against the very best. We’ll wait and see who we get.”
Yamal is a game away from winning the second major trophy of his career, having become a Liga champion with Barca in 2022/23.
