EURO 2024
When is Spain star Lamine Yamal’s 17th birthday?
Together with Nico Williams, who turned 22 this week, Spain winger Lamine Yamal has been one of the major star performers at Euro 2024.
One of the stand-out stars of this summer’s European Championship, Spain winger Lamine Yamal is 17 today - and the teenager got into the birthday spirit with Diario AS, as he prepares for tomorrow’s final against England.
Lamine celebrates with fellow birthday boy Williams
AS was at Spain’s training base in Donaueschingen to offer its best wishes not only to Lamine, but also his fellow Euros sensation Nico Williams, who turned 22 yesterday.
Posing together for this newspaper, Lamine and Williams blew out the candles on their cake as they celebrated birthdays that neither is likely to forget in a hurry. “If we win the final, I’m not even going to ask my mum for a present,” Lamine said at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday, after scoring a stunning goal in Spain’s 2-1 semi-final victory over France.
Lamine and Williams have spoken regularly to AS throughout the tournament in Germany - and have both talked in confident tones about Spain’s chances of winning a fourth European title. “We haven’t come here just to stretch our legs,” the Barcelona player told this publication ahead of Euro 2024.
Spain pair now the talk of Europe
Inseparable off-the-field pals throughout the tournament, Lamine and Williams have offered up inventive, effervescent, self-assured on-pitch displays that have seen them emerge as European soccer’s hottest properties.
Williams, whom a host of major clubs are out to sign from Athletic Club, was the Player of the Match in Spain’s hugely impressive group-stage win over Italy. Lamine, whose equaliser against the French will go down as one of the great goals in the history of the Spanish men’s national team, emulated that feat in this week’s triumph over Les Bleus.
Such is the chemistry between the pair that they have even begun to develop a jokey on-field rivalry, amicably needling each other over their respective exploits. “I’ve reminded him that I’m now ahead of him in the scoring charts,” Williams said after netting a fine solo goal against Georgia, in a last-16 win that also saw him assist Rodri for the equaliser. Lamine drew level with Williams’ goal tally with his strike against France, and has supplied three assists at Euro 2024, setting up Dani Carvajal, Fabián Ruiz and Dani Olmo to find the net.
Lamine and Williams now have the opportunity to apply the ideal finishing touch to their month-long stay in Germany. Victory in Sunday’s final in Berlin would bring the elation of winning Spain’s first major men’s silverware since 2012, and would add yet further weight to the duo’s already overwhelming claims for inclusion in UEFA’s Team of the Tournament.
A huge party would await in Madrid, where Spaniards would line the streets of the Spanish capital for the team’s trophy parade. Then, after enjoying a deserved summer holiday, Lamine and Williams would potentially be reunited next season at Barça, who are making no secret of their eagerness to lure the latter to Catalonia from the Basque Country. A busy few weeks await the Athletic man.
Spain vs England: date, time, how to watch
Spain and England meet in the Euro 2024 final on Sunday July 14, 2024, with kick-off at Berlin’s Olympiastadion scheduled for 3pm ET/12 noon PT. Viewers in the United States will be able to watch the game on Fox Network, TUDN USA, Univision and ViX.