Lamine Yamal extends Kylian Mbappé nightmare record as Spain beat France

Lamine Yamal has kept his edge against Kylian Mbappé as Spain beat France 2-0 in the World Cup semi-final.

In total, in 11 face-off matches, the Spanish sensation has trounced the French juggernaut nine times.

Though in those meetings, the Real Madrid striker scored more goals - nine - against the teenage footballer's six, despite this, the bulk of the victories landed in Yamal's corner.

Aside from the head-to-head stats, the rivalry of the pair produced several unforgettable moments.

From Yamal's jaw-dropping goal in the Euro 2024 semifinal to the 19-year-old's stunning two-goal in last year's Nations League nail-biting semi-final.

Mbappé, on the other hand, attempted to flip the script at AT&T Stadium; however, he fell short of replicating another phenomenal World Cup performance. 

In a press conference prior to the semi-final match, Yamal said, "Without a doubt, this is the most important match I'm going to play."

The Barcelona star continued, "We're all very excited, especially me. I'm certain it's going to be a special day.

"I would like to gift myself [for my birthday] a win [over France] and be able to go to New York [to play the World Cup final]."

Nonetheless, after Spain advanced into the last stage of the 2026 World Cup, Yamal will play his first-ever World Cup final.