Spain boss Luis de la Fuente says World Cup 2026 made Lamine Yamal a better player and person

De la Fuente defends Yamal’s character and highlights growth after World Cup

Spain boss Luis de la Fuente has insisted people “don’t know the real Lamine Yamal” and praised the Barcelona teenager as a “fantastic team player” who makes life easier for his teammates.

Speaking to The Athletic, De la Fuente pushed back against talk of Yamal’s ego, arguing ambition is positive when channelled toward the collective.

“He is a fantastic team player. A diligent team-mate and a guy who makes living around him extremely easy,” De la Fuente said. “I can tell you, people do not know the real Lamine Yamal. He is a fantastic team player. A diligent team-mate and a guy who makes living around him extremely easy.”

On the perception of ego, the Spain manager added: “People talking about his ego? I don’t understand the negative connotation of the word ‘ego’. We all have an ego. As long as you put that ambition into the team’s collective goal, ego is a spectacular thing to have. Everybody in this team has that collective mindset.”

De la Fuente pointed to the squad’s family environment as key to Yamal’s development. “This is the true secret: to select the right profile of a player to then create a family. At Euro 2024, you could see Jesus Navas, who was 38, playing video games and having a laugh with Lamine. Now, Oyarzabal (29) is a player who Yamal really listens to and looks up to.”

World Cup 2026 a turning point

The manager also reflected on Yamal’s World Cup 2026 campaign, saying the tournament benefited the 19-year-old even when he was not at his best.

“Even without being at his peak level of excellence, Yamal added so many things to the team,” De la Fuente said. “The World Cup did him good. This has made him a better player, team-mate and person. Now he knows that, even if he is not brilliant, he can help the group, too. That really is a leap of quality in his growing process. There is still a lot to do for him, because Lamine has all the goods to be world-class for years.”

De la Fuente stressed his selection philosophy goes beyond football ability.

“When I select players, I don’t just look at the footballer. I look at the person. I’ve known some of our players for 15 years, and if they are here it is because they fit into our philosophy of turning this into a family. If you don’t fit into this, you’re out.”

Spain return to action for the first time since the World Cup later today with a Nations League fixture against England at Wembley.