Yamal: Facing Cristiano is an honor, now the real tournament begins

Lamine Yamal, the star of the Spanish national team, expressed his immense happiness at guiding his country to the Round of 16 in the 2026 World Cup after a 3-0 victory over Austria in the Round of 32.

Yamal stated: "I am very happy; we entered the match with one goal, which was to qualify for the Round of 16. I feel like I am back to 100% of my level, and I am fully ready for what is to come."

Regarding not scoring in the match, he added: "Of course, I wished to score, but the most important thing is winning. As long as we win, that is what matters most to me."

He emphasized: "Now the real tournament begins; if you lose, you go home. We need to rest well and start thinking about the next match."

The player spoke about the support from fans, saying: "I am very grateful for the love I receive from them; it gives me a huge boost and helps me a lot."

He also confirmed that his biggest dream is to win the title, stating: "There is nothing greater than the World Cup. Every child dreams of playing in this tournament, and I dream of winning it with Spain."

On watching his brother celebrate the team's qualification, he said: "I am very happy to see him joyful and to see my mother living the life she deserves. My brother is like my son to me, and I love him very much."

He added: "We need to keep improving, but we fear no team."

Regarding the possibility of facing Portugal or playing against Cristiano Ronaldo in the next round, he concluded his remarks by saying: "I don't care if the opponent is Portugal or Croatia. Of course, it would be an honor to play against Cristiano, but the most important thing is to keep progressing in the tournament."