Zlatan Ibrahimović Breaks Down How Spain ‘Dominated’ Without Lamine Yamal At His Best

In his World Cup debut, 19-year-old Lamine Yamal helped Spain bring home its first men's World Cup trophy since 2010, despite not playing to the standard that fans have come to expect from the teenage sensation.

Yamal started the World Cup with a lingering ankle injury that kept him on the bench against Cape Verde. But in his first start in Spain's 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia, he made an instant impact, scoring in the 10th minute.

The hope was that Yamal's goal would be a sign of things to come, but he ended the tournament with just one goal. Despite Yamal's quiet tournament, Spain won the final, which Zlatan Ibrahimović believes is a testament to Spain's strength.

"He came in the tournament and he wasn't 100%," Ibrahimović, Sweden's all-time leading goalscorer, said of Yamal postgame. "He didn't have his best tournament, and still, Spain dominated every game.

"That says how good they are as a team, even if Yamal didn't perform. They won the World Cup without this guy performing like he normally does."

Prior to the World Cup, Yamal helped Spain reach significant milestones, including its 2024 Euros title win over England. The victory also earned Yamal the Best Young Player award with his four assists, which is tied for the most ever by a player at any single edition of the tournament.

Since then, Spain has grown into a dominant team in any international competition. With its win in Sunday's final, Spain is now unbeaten in 38 straight games overall, setting the record for the longest known streak by any nation.

"That says how good Spain is, because when they start to play and do those passes, they take your spirit away. They take your hope away," Ibrahimović continued. "Then, I know, as a player, I know if I don't touch the ball, if the opponent always keeps the ball, I get crazy. I lose patience. You want to start running after them. You want to start kicking.

"That is what they did with every team in this tournament. In the end, they are the best nation in the world."

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