Spain boss Luis de la Fuente admits Lamine Yamal has not yet performed to expectations at this World Cup but is working on keeping a lid on the Barcelona stars emotions ahead of tonights quarter-final clash with Belgium. Yamal came into the tournament short of full fitness after sustaining a hamstring injury in April and has looked rusty despite Spains seamless progression to the last eight.De la Fuente acknowledges there is more to come from the supremely talented 18-year-old but is eager to not place too much pressure on his young shoulders.He said: If you see Lamines motivation, it is very dangerous for the opponents, but we must calm him down so that he does not become anxious. The best is yet to come because he has not taken the step of brilliance that we expect.The other day [the win over Portugal] was a scenario where he had to work in defence until he became tired and had to be replaced. It was a great exercise in maturity and we are now waiting for his offensive level.Table of ContentsLamine Yamal stats at the 2026 World CupSpain focusing solely on BelgiumLamine Yamal stats at the 2026 World CupGamesMinutesShotsShots on TargetGoalsAssistsLamine Yamal535217810Spain focusing solely on BelgiumSpain are overwhelming favourites to beat Belgium and set up a mouthwatering semi-final with France but De la Fuente was quick to outline the risks with looking too far ahead.He added: Only the match against Belgium is in our heads. The fans can talk about it, but as professionals we cant. Getting to the quarter-finals is not easy at all, at the World Cup no-one gives you anything, everything is achieved based on a lot of work and doing things well, having healthy players, choosing between 26 soccer players we think about the future although immediacy is what our work shows.Spain are expected to field an unchanged line-up but De la Fuente conceded it was not easy to select 11 players from such a talented squad.Selecting a line-up is the most difficult job, he said, because each game is different and we have players of a very high level. [But] the players do not have the same characteristics and regardless of the level they have it is done by analysing the opponent and from there we select an 11 to play well against the opponent. If a change occurs it is not a punishment for the player who is left out. Topics FC Barcelona Lamine Yamal Spain National Football Team Add us as a preferred source on Google If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read Spain v Belgium: Predicted line-ups, stats and where to watch as European champions eye place in World Cup semi-finals Jon Fisher 10th July, 2026 World Cup 2026: Quarter-final predictions with Mbappe, Messi, Yamal and Haaland hoping to fire their teams to the last four Jon Fisher 9th July, 2026 Lamine Yamal confident he can deliver match-winning performance for Spain against Belgium Jon Fisher 9th July, 2026 World Cup final half-time show: Justin Bieber to play as performers lineup confirmed by FIFA Cian Cheesbrough 8th July, 2026 Hes waddling around the field like a grandad BBC pundit tears into Cristiano Ronaldo after Portugal exit World Cup Jon Fisher 7th July, 2026 Ronaldo wont make snap decision over international future but leaves World Cup with clear conscience Jon Fisher 7th July, 2026
