Lamine Yamal sends savage two-word message to Adrien Rabiot in response to 'show much more' jibe after inspiring Spain to Euro 2024 final at the expense of France

In the build-up to the last-four encounter, Rabiot had doubted the Barcelona wonder kid's abilities to impact a battle of such magnitude on the continental stage.

"Obviously it could be difficult for him to deal with a semifinal in a big tournament," he said. "It's up to us to put pressure on him and to take him out of his comfort zone. And to reach a final at the Euros, he needs to do more than he's done up until now."

The Barcelona prodigy, however, had different plans for the match and his response was nothing short of spectacular. Yamal ensured that the French midfielder had the best view in the stadium when he curled his sensational equaliser past a flying Mike Maignan between the sticks.

Spain went on to win the semi-final 2-1, and Yamal appeared to bite back at Rabiot’s pre-match comments as he looked into a camera at full-time and said: "Speak now!"

On the eve of the match, Yamal had taken to Instagram and posted a cryptic message in what also seemed like a response to Rabiot, which read: "Move in silence, only speak when it's time to say checkmate."

The remarkable goal etched Yamal's name in the history books, making him the youngest player ever to score in a men's European Championship. His performance didn't stop there; he continued to be a pivotal force throughout the game, showcasing his exceptional talent and composure under pressure. His efforts were recognised as the 16-year-old became the youngest player to win a Man of the Match award in a UEFA game.

Yamal wrote another message on Instagram the day after the semi-final to rub more salt in Rabiot's wounds, which read: "Check mate. Come on Spain, we're in the final!"

Spain’s victory over France has set the stage for a highly anticipated final against the winner of the England vs Netherlands match. Spain, rejuvenated by the performance of their young star, looks poised and ready to compete for the championship title as they aim to conquer Europe once again after more than a decade.