Uruguay warn Lamine Yamal: He’ll have to get stuck in | OneFootball

Months before the start of the 2026 World Cup, one of the most attractive matches of the group stage has already begun to heat up. Guillermo Varela, Uruguay's full-back, issued a direct warning to Lamine Yamal, Spain's gem, during an interview on La Mañana del Fútbol by El Espectador Deportes: "We like to play hard, so he's going to have to put his foot in."

The Uruguayan team will share Group H with Spain, Cape Verde, and Saudi Arabia, a lineup that promises a high-voltage clash between two well-defined styles: the technique and freshness of Luis de la Fuente's team, with Yamal as the standard-bearer, against the competitive intensity and aggressiveness of the Uruguayan squad.

Asked about the match with La Roja, Varela acknowledged that they had not yet analyzed the Barcelona star in depth due to Flamengo's competitive schedule, as they are currently competing in the Intercontinental Cup, but he left a message that resonated strongly: "I haven't even had time to think about Lamine Yamal yet because we don't stop for a second here. We like to play hard, so he's going to have to put his foot in."

The phrase quickly went viral in Spain and began to shape a match that, despite being far off in the calendar, already promises to be one of the hottest in the group stage. The confrontation between the 18-year-old forward's skill and the tough Uruguayan marking appears as one of the major attractions of the zone.

Uruguay, true to its DNA, will seek to strengthen itself through intensity and physical contact; Spain will bet on possession and the explosiveness of its young talents. And while the World Cup hasn't started yet, the Yamal-Uruguayans duel is already playing its own match.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.