At the 2026 World Cup, the Spanish national team is in Group H with Cabo Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay. After winning EURO 2024, La Roja (Spanish national team's nickname) is considered a bright candidate to win the championship at this year's tournament.
Meanwhile, Yamal is one of the most noticed players. Just over 18 years old, he has been recognized as the top talent of world football. The tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico is the first World Cup Yamal has participated in and he himself is also very excited about this playground.
Since I was little, this has always been a tournament that everyone follows. That's what makes it special. Even if you are not a football fan, when your national team plays, suddenly everyone goes out, watching together. That's the beauty of this sport. Thinking about participating in it makes me get goosebumps," Yamal shared with FIFA.
Yamal also shared how the Spanish national team overcame pressure, when being considered the top candidate for the World Cup championship this year. He said: "Being considered a championship candidate means nothing when you have played. It does not give you an advantage or help you score more goals.
You still have to play every match. There are many strong teams – Argentina, France, Portugal, England – and all of them are playing at their best at the World Cup. For us, it is important to dedicate ourselves to Spain and believe in our playing style because, in my opinion, we play the best football today.
According to the Barcelona striker, Spain's strength is having a generation of talented players, who grew up from the academies at the club. This has been shown through the playing style of the whole team. Under the guidance of coach Luis de la Fuente, the Spanish team believes in their method and that has brought good results.
Yamal received a lot of attention when he was very young, which does not always bring positive things. However, this striker always has a way to push himself and set high expectations at the upcoming World Cup. He said: "When you emerge early, there are always doubts - that you are too young, you are just a temporary phenomenon, you are overestimated. For me, it is important to show my ability through each match. The World Cup will be a new challenge for me, and I really look forward to it.
Yamal is often compared to Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar or Mbappe. When asked if he has reached the same level as his colleagues, Yamal cleverly replied: "My goal is not to be compared to them; but to be mentioned with them. So that next time you ask someone that question, my name will be in that group".
In addition, the star of the Spanish national team also aims to build his own identity, so as not to be compared to anyone else, enjoy the matches and bring joy to everyone. "And when I retire, I hope people still like to come back to watch me play," Yamal concluded.
