Spain tamed France yet again in a mouth-watering clash in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final, winning 2-0. Three consecutive wins in three top-four clashes have pretty much settled the debate of who should be crowned as the ultimate European giant—it’s Spain. However, it has settled another discourse among rival fans—who is better? Lamine Yamal or Kylian Mbappe?
After Wednesday’s win, it is safe to say that Yamal has pocketed Mbappe in all crucial matches, including club football. While the teenager went on a rampage in the three semi-final matches—Euros 2024, UEFA Nations League in 2015 and 2026 World Cup—the French talismanic striker went on an unusual silent mode.Let’s start with the Euros 2024. Yamal scored a 25-yard curling world-class equaliser to become the tournament’s youngest-ever goalscorer. Spain went on to win the match 2-1. Meanwhile, Mbappe provided an early assist but was largely contained by Spain’s defence afterwards.
In 2015, Spain again came out on top of France with a 5-4 win. Yamal dominated the game from the right wing and scored two goals, including a confident penalty. Mbappe, on the other hand, scored a penalty but was shadowed out of open play.Now, in the world’s biggest football tournament, Yamal’s clever play earned a penalty for Luis de la Fuente’s Spain in the first half, which was fired inside the net by Mikel Oyarzabal. Mbappe failed to register a single shot on target and picked up a yellow card out of frustration. He tried hard, but failed miserably.In all three matches, the most remarkable part was that Yamal was still a teenager who was trying to make a mark in football. But, Mbappe was already established with a World Cup trophy and a World Cup Golden Boot in 2018 and 2022, respectively.Massive milestone
