Hopes remain high that Yamal can help the European champions bounce back from their opening result and potentially go all the way this summer.
| Lamine Yamal Markets | Odds |
|---|---|
| Over 0.5 assists vs Saudi Arabia | 3.00 |
| Most assists at the World Cup | 26.00 |
Odds courtesy of Betway. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
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Spain’s World Cup struggles continue in opening draw
It’s now 16 years since Andres Iniesta’s goal settled the 2010 World Cup final. Since tasting victory in South Africa, Spain have not been very successful in this tournament.
Their draw against Cape Verde, a nation of only half a million people, was just one of many setbacks. La Roja now have only three victories in 12 World Cup matches across four tournaments. All of those wins came in the group stage against Australia, Iran, and Costa Rica.
They headed into this summer’s competition as the favourites, but failed to put one past Cape Verde’s inspired goalkeeper Vozinha. Despite having 27 shots, La Roja only created two big chances on Matchday 1.
The performance was reminiscent of recent World Cup exits against Russia and Morocco. In both of those games, Spain also enjoyed more than 70% ball possession, but lacked cutting edge in the final third. Their display against unfancied opposition in Atlanta highlighted how dependent they may be on Yamal this summer.
Yamal’s and fellow winger Nico Williams' emergence helped spark the Iberians’ run to Euro 2024 glory. Both players headed into this World Cup dealing with injuries. However, the talented duo was fit enough to feature off the bench against Cape Verde.
With additional concerns about Williams’ poor form this season for Athletic Club, Yamal should be the key player in North America. Despite not playing since April due to a hamstring issue, he appeared reasonably sharp when he came on.
Even though he was only introduced in the 71st minute, the Barcelona winger still had 36 touches. He carried the ball a total of 124.3 metres. After a lively cameo, it’d be a surprise if Luis de la Fuente didn’t start his young star against Saudi Arabia.
Can Yamal fire up Spain’s challenge?
Spain actually lost their opening game against Switzerland in 2010 when they went on to win the World Cup. Therefore, a slow start again this time around may not necessarily be a bad sign.
There is plenty of time to grow into an expanded 48-team tournament, and Yamal’s creativity will be crucial. He excelled as a 16-year-old at Euro 2024, scoring or assisting in all four of his side’s knockout games. That competition ended with the Spanish winger two clear of his nearest rival on four assists.
Ominously for La Roja’s opponents at this World Cup, Yamal is a much more complete player two years on. He registered 27 goal contributions in 28 La Liga appearances this season. The Barca star finished with the most assists in the Spanish top flight for the second year in a row.
Backing Yamal to create goals rather than score them often offers greater betting value. He made one key pass after he came on against Cape Verde, but Mikel Oyarzabal couldn’t finish.
Given that promising performance and his outstanding career figures, it shouldn’t be long before Yamal sets up his first World Cup goal. He looks good value to register an assist against Saudi Arabia with an implied probability of 33.3%.
At long odds, he also stands out as a great option to finish the tournament with the most assists. Despite drawing against Cape Verde, Spain are still the favourites to win their group. That could open up a favourable knockout path, and Yamal should have plenty of opportunities to increase his assist tally.