Lamine Yamal becomes first under-20 player to win Euro, World Cup

Olugbenga Ige

Spanish forward, Lamine Yamal, becomes the first player under the age of 20 to win both the UEFA European Championship and the FIFA World Cup.

The Barcelona forward, who inspired Spain to victory at UEFA Euro 2024 as a 17-year-old, completed the remarkable international double after La Roja defeated Argentina 1-0 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday.

According to FIFA, Yamal, at just 19 years old, is the youngest player to achieve the feat, underlining his meteoric rise as one of world football’s biggest stars.

He played a pivotal role throughout Spain’s victorious World Cup campaign, contributing with crucial goals, assists and creative displays as Luis de la Fuente’s side lifted the trophy for the second time in the nation’s history, 16 years after their maiden triumph in South Africa in 2010.

Yamal’s success comes just two years after he dazzled at Euro 2024, where he became the youngest player ever to feature, score and provide an assist in the history of the European Championship.

He also won the Young Player of the Tournament award after helping Spain defeat England 2-1 in the final in Berlin.

His latest achievement places him in an exclusive category of players to have won both the European Championship and the FIFA World Cup, but he is the first to accomplish the feat before turning 20.

It further strengthens his reputation as one of the game’s most accomplished young talents, having already collected major honours with both club and country before reaching his 20th birthday.

The historic milestone adds another chapter to Yamal’s rapidly growing legacy and highlights his central role in Spain’s emergence as the dominant force in international football.