‘Lamine Yamal has matured a lot since the Euros. He’s probably the best in the world at the minute, but he can’t do it on his own’ Mikel Merino on his game-changing Spain team-mate

When Spain began their Euro 2024 tilt, few had them tagged as the eventual winners, as the likes of France, England and hosts Germany were ahead of them in the bookies’ odds.

But after a strong group stage, in which Croatia, Italy and Albania were all swept aside without a goal being conceded, expectations were reset.

One of the best aspects of tournament football is often the emergence of a new name on the world stage - and in Lamine Yamal, Spain had exactly that, with the teenager’s sublime performances lighting up the competition and reinvigorating his team.

Merino on Yamal’s emergence and role this summer

FourFourTwo's World Cup Wallchart - The One and Only

Large A1 Football Wall Chart with Space for Scores and Predictions: Designed for easy viewing and interaction with room to write results and build predictions

View Deal

“He was unreal,” Arsenal and Spain midfielder Mikel Merino tells FourFourTwo. “I’ve never seen something like that – only 16 and starring for a national team like Spain.

“It was weird to witness for the rest of the squad too, because on one hand, you know that being 16 and playing at that level, and with that pressure, isn’t normal.

“But on the other hand, you just saw how he enjoyed every single day. It was like, ‘OK, this guy is just too good, and he keeps playing like he doesn’t have a care in the world.’

“He was just enjoying himself.”

In the two years that have passed since Spain won Euro 2024, Yamal has proved that he is no flash-in-the-pan, helping Barcelona win back-to-back La Liga titles and being named as the Ballon d’Or runner-up last year.

The stage is set, therefore, for Yamal to shine on the biggest stage of all this summer, as he looks to overcome his recent injury issues and spearhead Spain’s World Cup tilt.

“He’s matured a lot since the Euros,” Merino continues. “He’s a much better player now than he was before, even if that’s difficult.

Yamal will turn 19 in the week leading up to the final this summer and Merino knows that the squad’s collective experience will be key in getting the most out of the teenager.

“He’s a massive player, probably the best in the world at the minute, but he’s not the only player who needs to perform – he can’t do it on his own.

“I’d say our biggest strength is that we’re like a collective and we play as a team. He’s a big part of a bigger puzzle.”