Lamine Yamal to become third-youngest World Cup finalist ever | OneFootball

Lamine Yamal is set to make yet more World Cup history after helping Spain reach the final with victory over France. When he takes to the pitch at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, the Barcelona teenager will become the third-youngest player ever to appear in a World Cup final.

Although the 19-year-old has not produced quite the same numbers as earlier in the tournament, he still played a decisive role in Spain's 2-0 semi-final win. Yamal won the penalty that Mikel Oyarzabal converted to open the scoring and also had a goal ruled out for a marginal offside.

Spain's victory booked only the second World Cup final in the nation's history and gives Yamal the chance to become a world champion before his 20th birthday. On the day of the final, he will be 19 years and six days old, making him younger than Kylian Mbappé was when France defeated Croatia in the 2018 final. Mbappé, who was 19 years and 207 days old, previously ranked third on the all-time list.

Only two players have featured in a World Cup final at a younger age. The record belongs to Pelé, who was just 17 years and 249 days old when he scored twice in Brazil's famous 5-2 victory over Sweden in the 1958 final, becoming the youngest player ever to score in the showpiece.

Second on the list is former Italy defender Giuseppe Bergomi, who was 18 years and 174 days old when the Azzurri beat West Germany to win the 1982 World Cup. Yamal now has the opportunity to join that exclusive company.