Spain risk breaking little-known law if Euro 2024 final against England goes to extra-time because of Lamine Yamal
SPAIN risk breaking a little-known law if their Euro 2024 final against England goes to extra-time.
Luis de la Fuente’s side will take on the Three Lions in Berlin on Sunday after dumping France out in the semis.
Spain are the only team to have won every single one of their games.
And they are also on course to finish as the competition’s top scorers.
The Spanish have seen a host of talent explode into life too, with unsung heroes including Marc Cucurella and Fabian Ruiz playing key roles.
Nico Williams has also impressed on the left wing.
But his right-sided counterpart Lamine Yamal has been the real star of the show.
The Barcelona wonderkid has helped himself to three assists so far.
And he became the youngest scorer in Euros history with a wonder-strike against France on Tuesday aged just 16.
Yamal is now set to make more history when he lines up for Spain in Sunday’s final, with the winger celebrating his 17th birthday a day earlier.
EURO 2024 FREE BETS AND OFFERS
England vs Spain record
England have played Spain 27 times in total - here is a look at every result...
- May 1929, Spain 4-3 England – International Friendly (L)
- December 1931, England 7-1 Spain – International Friendly (W)
- July 1950, Spain 1-0 England – World Cup (L)
- May 1955, Spain 1-1 England – International Friendly (D)
- November 1955, England 4-1 Spain – International Friendly (W)
- May 1960, Spain 3-0 England – International Friendly (L)
- October 1960, England 4-2 Spain – International Friendly (W)
- December 1965, Spain 0-2 England – International Friendly (W)
- May 1967, England 2-0 Spain – International Friendly (W)
- April 1968, England 1-0 Spain – European Championship (W)
- May 1968, Spain 1-2 England – European Championship (W)
- March 1980, Spain 0-2 England – International Friendly (W)
- June 1980, England 2-1 Spain – European Championship (W)
- March 1981, England 1-2 Spain – International Friendly (L)
- July 1982, Spain 0-0 England – World Cup (D)
- February 1987, Spain 2-4 England – International Friendly (W)
- September 1992, Spain 1-0 England – International Friendly (L)
- June 1996, England 0(4)-(2)0 Spain – European Championship (W)
- February 2001, England 3-0 Spain – International Friendly (W)
- November 2004, Spain 1-0 England – International Friendly (L)
- February 2007, England 0-1 Spain – International Friendly (L)
- February 2009, Spain 2-0 England – International Friendly (L)
- November 2011, England 1-0 Spain – International Friendly (W)
- November 2015, Spain 2-0 England – International Friendly (L)
- November 2016, England 2-2 Spain – International Friendly (D)
- September 2018, England 1-2 Spain – Nations League (L)
- October 2018, Spain 2-3 England – Nations League (W)
Overall, England have won 14, drawn three and lost 10 matches against Spain.
But should the clash with England go past 90 minutes, Spain risk breaking a strict German law.
Under-18s in the country are not allowed to work past 8pm local time.
Athletes are given exemptions allowing them to play until 11pm.
But this includes all post-match exercises including showering and media obligations.
Spain’s final against England kicks off at 9pm local time.
And if Yamal plays past 90 minutes, it means Spain would technically be breaking the obscure German law.
There is even a chance they could be fined £25,000 by authorities.
However, any threat of punishment is unlikely to be enforced, with the law designed to protect the well-being of teenagers.
Yamal has thrived in Spain’s squad as he combines playing with homework.
And he previously vowed to take a holiday should his nation reach the final.
Revealing he was doing school work during down time, Yamal said: “How many hours do I study? Well, since we have a lot of free time, it’s not something that I put in and say: ‘Today at least two hours’.
“When I’m in the room with nothing to do, I take the iPad and do a couple of homework, and when Nico or Fermín call me to play PlayStation, I go down with them.
“Do I have to take exams? No, with the iPad, I see what they send me, I print it and do it.
“What about my grades? I guess they will send them to me online because it depends on how far we go in the Euro Cup, which I hope will be very far away because I won’t be going back to class anymore.
“So, if we reach the final, I won’t come back, I’ll go directly on vacation.”
Inside the baffling, brilliant story of Lamine Yamal – from being bathed by Messi to doing homework while taking Euros by storm
LAMINE YAMAL has confirmed his status as football’s next superstar at Euro 2024 – but has only been playing 11-a-side games for four years, write Jack Rosser.
Spain’s incredible 16-year-old bent home the goal of the tournament so far against France as La Roja sealed the spot in the final.
But his first five years in Barcelona’s academy were spent playing seven-a-side football, up until the age of 12 in 2020 when he finally got a crack at 11-a-side games.
Yamal’s story is baffling, brilliant and barely believable in equal measure.
He is a boy born to a Moroccan father and a mother from Equatorial Guinea, who turns 17 tomorrow and was cradled by footballing royalty at just six months old.
Staggering pictures of Yamal as a baby being held and bathed by Messi, taken for a Barcelona charity calendar 16 years ago, resurfaced this week.
He did not restrict his brushes with greatness to Barcelona either, with footage of Yamal as an academy player walking as a mascot with Spain and Real Madrid icon Sergio Ramos at an El Clasico in 2016.
There is a touch of fate about this gem, Spain’s “little MVP”, as team-mate Nico Williams has dubbed him.
Yamal has been doing homework in his spare time and received exam results during the tournament. He passed, obviously.
Now he’s the youngest ever goalscorer at the Euros, also becoming the youngest player to ever start a major semi-final – claiming that title from Pele.
But it’s Yamal’s humble approach on and off the pitch that most impresses everyone he meets.
And France star Adrien Rabiot probably felt quite embarrassed as he boarded his plane back home from Germany.
He had tried to intimidate Yamal ahead of their semi-final clash – telling Yamal he “needs to do more.”
Was this good enough, then? Yamal responded with a goal for the ages and a man of the match performance.
A season which started with a pre-season game against Tottenham where Yamal excelled but was overshadowed by Oliver Skipp scoring a brace will end on the biggest stage European football has to offer on Sunday.
From being outshone by Skipp to eclipsing Pele’s records is not a bad year’s work – just imagine what he will do when he grows up.
Read all about the incredible rise of Lamine Yamal in full…