Lamine Yamal posts message after Spain win
Lamine Yamal, a Barcelona forward, posted “Hate me or love me, I don’t care” on Instagram after Spain beat England 3 to 2 in the UEFA Nations League at Wembley Stadium on Sept. 26, 2026.
Yamal scored the opening goal of that match and then shared the message with a carousel of photos. Spain teammate Álex Baena replied under the post with the words Ballon d’Or, according to Sports Illustrated.
Spain beat England 3 to 2 at Wembley
Spain beat England 3 to 2 at Wembley Stadium in London on Sept. 26, 2026. The match opened Group 3 of League A in the 2026 to 2027 UEFA Nations League. Spain came back from 2 to 1 down to secure the victory.
Lamine Yamal, Álex Baena and Mikel Oyarzabal scored for Spain. Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane scored for England. Italian referee Davide Massa took charge, with kickoff at 7:45 p.m. local time.
Lamine Yamal scores in the 104th second
Lamine Yamal put Spain ahead just 104 seconds into the match at Wembley. He took the ball from England defender Marc Guéhi and raced toward the penalty area. Yamal then finished past goalkeeper James Trafford.
Guéhi was unable to recover after losing possession to Yamal. The early strike gave Spain a quick 1 to 0 lead. It was the 3rd fastest goal England have conceded at Wembley Stadium.
Lamine Yamal sets a Wembley age record
Lamine Yamal became the youngest male player to score a competitive goal against England at Wembley Stadium, according to statistician MisterChip. Born on July 13, 2007, he was 19 years and 75 days old on Sept. 26, 2026.
Patrick Kluivert held the previous record after scoring for the Netherlands in their 4-1 defeat to England at Euro 1996. Yamal surpassed a mark that had stood for more than 30 years.
Lamine Yamal led England match in shots
Lamine Yamal played all 90 minutes and attempted 7 shots against England. That was the most of any player in the match. His 1.14 expected goals figure was also the highest.
Yamal created 4 chances and attempted 5 dribbles. He recorded 7 touches inside the England box and finished with 0.31 expected assists. His expected assists figure led the match, although he recorded no actual assist.
England’s Gordon and Kane flip the score
England answered Spain’s early goal with 2 goals in 4 minutes. Anthony Gordon equalized in the 36th minute after Jude Bellingham released him on a counterattack. Gordon finished low into the corner.
Harry Kane then put England ahead in the 40th minute. He headed a cross from Nico O’Reilly toward goal. The ball deflected off Marc Cucurella and beat goalkeeper Unai Simón.
Harry Kane misses a key Wembley penalty
Harry Kane missed a penalty in the 54th minute with England leading 2-1. Referee Davide Massa awarded the spot-kick after a VAR review of Rodri’s challenge on Jude Bellingham. Kane slipped and struck the crossbar.
Kane said his left foot gave way and described the disappointment as part of a striker’s life. Spain recovered to win 3-2, extending their unbeaten run to 39 matches.
Spain’s Baena and Oyarzabal turn the game
Substitute Álex Baena equalized for Spain in the 60th minute after an England error. Nico O’Reilly lost possession near his own penalty area. Baena then curled his shot into the corner.
Mikel Oyarzabal scored the winner in the 74th minute after a through pass from Baena. Spain next faced Croatia in Seville on Sept. 29. England’s next matches were against the Czech Republic and Croatia.
Luis de la Fuente praises Lamine Yamal
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente defended Lamine Yamal after the win over England. He was asked whether Yamal dribbles less for Spain than for Barcelona. De la Fuente said he did not know what Barcelona asks of the winger.
De la Fuente called Yamal’s performance exceptional and said Spain were fortunate to have him. He said Yamal plays according to what each moment of the game requires. The coach also praised Yamal for using his strengths alongside those of his teammates.
Fun fact: Lamine Yamal became the youngest goalscorer in European Championship history at 16 years and 362 days old during Euro 2024, breaking Johan Vonlanthen’s previous record by nearly a year and a half.
Lamine Yamal explains his pressing role
Yamal said Spain’s coach pushes the team to press high and win the ball back. He admitted that he sometimes loses focus during those situations. Other times, he wins possession and finds himself one-on-one.
Yamal said Spain are comfortable playing without the ball because of their speed. He added that the team knows how to attack on the counter. His opening goal against England came after he won the ball through Spain’s high press.
Lamine Yamal names Mbappé as top rival
On Sept. 13, Yamal said he and Kylian Mbappé are the 2 best players in the world. He said he believes he deserves the 2026 Ballon d’Or. Yamal pointed to the trophies he has won this year.
Yamal helped Barcelona retain the La Liga title and Spain win the 2026 World Cup. He was also named La Liga’s best player for the 2025 to 2026 season. Yamal finished second behind Ousmane Dembélé in the 2025 Ballon d’Or voting.
Abelardo Fernandez questions Yamal’s words
Former Barcelona defender Abelardo Fernández criticized Yamal’s public claim that he deserves the Ballon d’Or. He said the forward could believe he merits the award but argued that saying so publicly could make him look bad.
In a Sept. 26 Guardian interview, Yamal said continued winning would settle the debate.
Lamine Yamal’s growing profile has also brought more attention to his life away from soccer. Explore why Lamine Yamal’s relationship with Inés García has become a topic of interest among fans.
Lamine Yamal awaits the Ballon d’Or in October
Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the World Cup final on July 19, 2026. Ferran Torres scored the winner in the 106th minute, adding a World Cup title to Yamal’s Euro 2024 triumph.
The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place at the London Palladium on Oct. 26. The men’s award is decided by 100 journalists, and the Sept. 28 voting deadline has passed. Yamal, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé are among the nominees.
The parade produced another memorable moment as Yamal’s playful gesture quickly caught fans’ attention. Lamine Yamal mocks Paredes with viral parade sign reveals the story behind the exchange with Paredes.
Lamine Yamal says he deserves the 2026 Ballon d’Or, but critics like Abelardo Fernandez think he should keep quiet. Do you agree with Yamal’s confidence, or should he let his play do the talking? Share your view in the comments.
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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