Lamine Yamal, aged 16, made history by becoming the youngest ever goalscorer in the tournament as Spain rallied to defeat France 2-1 in Munich on Tuesday, securing their spot in the Euro 2024 final.
Spain found themselves trailing after Randal Kolo Muani headed in a Kylian Mbappe cross in the ninth minute. However, they turned the game around within a four-minute span, scoring twice against a French side that had only conceded once in their previous five matches in this tournament. Yamal, who will turn 17 the day before the final against either the Netherlands or England in Berlin, equalized with a remarkable strike from outside the box, curling the ball into the top corner past the outstretched fingers of Mike Maignan.
Spain took the lead in the 25th minute when Dani Olmo skillfully collected a loose ball and fired a low shot into the net, aided by a deflection off Jules Kounde. Masters of controlling the midfield, Spain focused on maintaining possession rather than counter-attacking after taking the lead, effectively managing the game to secure the victory.
Three-time champions Spain are now the first team to win six games in a Euros and are just one game away from securing a record-breaking fourth title. Meanwhile, questions will arise about how France, despite their impressive attacking lineup, failed to perform up front. France had only scored three goals before this match, none of which were scored by a French player from open play. Coach Didier Deschamps made the decision to bench Antoine Griezmann in favor of Ousmane Dembele.
Yamal created the first chance of the match just four minutes in, delivering a curling cross to an unmarked Fabian Ruiz, whose header went over the bar. Four minutes later, Mbappe replicated Yamal's cross, but Kolo Muani's header found the target, giving France the lead. Despite pre-match concerns about Spain's veterans Jesus Navas and Nacho, it was the younger players Aymeric Laporte and Marc Cucurella who were at fault for Kolo Muani's opener.
France's goal initially seemed to deflate Spain, but it was the youngest player on the pitch who produced a moment of brilliance to level the scores. Yamal collected the ball outside the box, cut inside, and unleashed a perfect curling shot into the top left corner. This goal made Yamal, who already has three assists at Euro 2024, the youngest scorer in the competition's history, breaking the previous record by a year and a half.
Yamal's goal, 13 minutes after France's opener, sparked Spain's attack, and they took the lead four minutes later through Olmo. Olmo acrobatically collected a cleared cross, evaded a defender, and fired goalwards, his shot deflecting off Kounde before bouncing in. France's best chance to force extra time came in the final five minutes, but Mbappe's shot went well over the bar with only goalkeeper Unai Simon to beat.
