Lamine Yamal dreams 'a thousand times' of lifting the FIFA World Cup trophy

Boasting a player like Lamine Yamal provides a game-changing edge, but throughout Luis de la Fuente's tenure, the strength of the collective group has emerged as the national team's greatest weapon. The manager consistently underlines this philosophy, and the numbers prove it is far from mere lip service. Looking at Spain's record since his senior debut back in September 2023, Lamine Yamal has missed 13 fixtures through injury or rotation. Across those games, 'La Roja' have yet to taste defeat.

The 2-0 win against the Czech Republic bolstered an almost flawless record in the absence of the Rocafonda native, yielding 11 wins and just two draws. In other words, without Lamine, Spain have won 84.6% of their matches—a figure that slightly eclipses their stellar 78.4% win rate (29 out of 37) with him on the pitch. Admittedly, most encounters without Lamine have been against lower-ranked opposition, which only elevates the impact of the No. 19, whose best performances consistently arrive in the most demanding, decisive matches.

These figures underline the formidable squad depth of a Spain side capable of coping and thriving without virtually any individual. That said, whilst the statistics are flawless, having Lamine remains an invaluable asset. The superstar will feature in the crucial showdown against England as Spain bid to seal top spot in their group and punch their ticket to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Nations League.

Matches without Lamine since his Spain debut
 

- Wins: Scotland (2-0), Norway (0-1), Andorra (5-0), Serbia (3-0), Denmark (1-2), Switzerland (3-2), Georgia (2-0 and 0-4), Bulgaria (4-0), Peru (1-3), and Czech Rep. (0-2)

- Draws: Turkey (2-2) and Iraq (1-1)