No goal, but still the best: Yamal's stats are astonishing

Spain national team winger Lamine Yamal was named the Man of the Match in the 2026 World Cup quarter-final against Belgium. Interestingly, the 18-year-old star neither scored nor provided an assist in this game.

Nevertheless, his activity on the pitch and the pressure he created in attack were highly rated by experts.

Yamal was a decisive figure even without a goal

In the match where Spain defeated Belgium 2-1, Lamine Yamal constantly caused problems for the opponent's defense.

He stood out on the wing with his speed, ball control, and superiority in one-on-one situations.

Key stats of the 18-year-old player

During the match, Yamal:

• took 6 shots on the opponent's goal;

• made 6 crosses;

• completed 4 successful dribbles.

In these metrics, he was one of the most active players in the Spain squad.

Why was he named the best?

In football, a goal or an assist does not always fully reflect a player's impact. Yamal drew the opponent's defense to himself, created space for his teammates, and was actively involved in almost every attack.

His pressure consistently forced the Belgium defense into making mistakes.

A big test against France ahead

The Spain national team will face France in the semi-final.

Now the main question is: can Lamine Yamal show the same active performance against France and this time distinguish himself with a goal contribution?