Lamine Yamal is doing things on a football pitch that 18-year-olds simply aren’t supposed to do. At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the FC Barcelona winger has completed more take-ons than any other player in the tournament, racking up 17 successful dribbles through the knockout stages. That works out to roughly one completed dribble every 16 minutes of play.
The World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico and running from June 11 through a July 19 final in the New York/New Jersey area, is a 48-team affair.
The on-pitch case for generational talent
Yamal already had a résumé most players twice his age would envy before this tournament began. He was a key contributor to Spain’s UEFA EURO 2024 victory, a tournament run that put the football world on notice that this wasn’t just a promising kid, it was a legitimate star arriving early.
Spain’s campaign has included victories over teams like Austria, with Yamal consistently identified as the team’s most dangerous attacking outlet.
