In a remarkable display of skill and teamwork, the promising Barcelona winger, Lamine Yamal, etched his name into the annals of Spanish national team history. He scored a goal in Spain's resounding 7-1 victory against Georgia on Friday, during the fifth stage of the qualifiers for the 2024 UEFA European Championship.
Yamal's achievement overshadowed the stellar performance of Atletico Madrid striker, Alvaro Morata, who netted three goals (22', 40', 66'). At just 16 years and 57 days old, Morata became the youngest player in history to don the Spanish jersey. He also became the youngest scorer in the team, capping the scoring spree in the 74th minute with an assist from Nico Williams, who replaced the injured Marco Asensio, the scorer of the sixth goal (68').
Yamal replaced the injured Dani Olmo after he netted the third goal (38') due to a Georgian own goal by defender Solomon Kvirkvelia (27'). Georgia managed to salvage some pride with a goal from English Watford player Giorgi Chakvetadze (49').
Speaking to Spanish channel "TDI", Yamal expressed his elation, saying, "I am extremely happy with my first appearance and goal. It's a dream; I am living a dream right now. I am very happy and I must thank my teammates and the coach for the trust they have placed in me, and everyone who helped me along this journey."
Yamal shattered the previous record held by his Barcelona teammate, Gavi, who made his debut against Georgia in 2021 at the age of 17 years and 62 days. Gavi also held the record for the youngest scorer when he netted against Czech Republic in June 2022 during the UEFA Nations League at 17 years and 304 days.
Yamal also became the youngest player ever to feature in a La Liga match for Barcelona in April at 15 years and nine months old, coming on as a substitute against Real Betis.
With this victory, the Spanish national team collected six points from three matches, trailing behind Scotland who leads with a perfect 12 points from four matches. Spain began their campaign with a clean 3-0 victory against Norway.
In June, "La Roja" clinched the UEFA Nations League title, defeating Italy 2-1 in the semifinals and triumphing over Croatia 5-4 on penalties after a goalless draw.
Under the guidance of coach Oscar de la Fuente, the Spanish squad is preparing meticulously for their upcoming clash against Cyprus on Tuesday, while Cyprus faces Scotland later in the evening.
On the flip side, Georgia, coached by Frenchman Willy Sagnol, suffered their second defeat after the initial loss to Scotland (0-2). They managed to secure a 1-1 draw against Norway, followed by a victory against Cyprus with the same scoreline.
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