Kalasuara -

Robert Lewandowski says Lamine Yamal has yet to play at his best throughout the 2026 World Cup, even though the 19-year-old winger helped Spain win the title. He made the comment four days after Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in the final on Sunday, July 19, 2026, at the New York/New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, on the only goal of the match from Ferran Torres.

Lewandowski, now with Chicago Fire and once Yamal's teammate at Barcelona, points to injury as the root cause. Yamal arrived at the tournament not fully recovered from a hamstring injury, having missed about eight weeks of action. With matches coming every three days, he had almost no time for full training, forcing coach Luis de la Fuente to manage his minutes in the tournament's early stages.

"He's very young, he came to the World Cup after an injury, and he hadn't played for about eight weeks. It's very hard if you're out for eight weeks and then go straight into a World Cup with no time to train because you're just moving from one match to the next," Lewandowski said.

Yamal's numbers show the gap. He scored just one goal in the tournament, in a Group H match against Saudi Arabia in Atlanta on June 21, 2026. But he completed 35 dribbles, the most successful take-ons past a defender, the highest tally of any player in the tournament according to Liputan6 figures. The gap suggests his role in driving Spain's attack from the right stayed large even as the end result didn't match his workload.

Why doesn't one goal reflect Yamal's performance at the 2026 World Cup?

One goal doesn't capture the whole of Yamal's contribution, because his impact came more through carrying the ball forward and winning one-on-one duels than through the scoresheet. His 35 dribbles show he remained a main outlet for the attack even with his fitness short of ideal, pulling defenders out of position and opening space for teammates.

Lewandowski made the point when comparing Yamal now with his best form. "Honestly, no, we haven't seen his best at this tournament. For me, Lamine's best form wasn't last season, it was two seasons ago. That's the best version of Lamine Yamal, in my view," he said.

What kept Spain champions even with Yamal short of his best?

Spain stayed effective because the attacking load wasn't resting on one player. When Yamal fell short of his sharpest form, other players stepped up to finish moves, as seen in Ferran Torres' lone goal in the final. "Still, he showed very good quality. The Spanish players helped Lamine, and Lamine helped the whole team too. I think that partnership worked perfectly," Lewandowski said.

Spain's road to the title ran through several strong sides. They eliminated Portugal on Merino's second-half stoppage-time goal, then France, before beating Argentina in the final. That run, together with the fact that both Argentina and France advanced from the group stage riding on Messi, backs the argument that Spain's real strength lies in its collective system rather than dependence on one star.

Lewandowski also explained his personal reasons for backing Spain in the final, pointing to his years at Barcelona alongside Yamal, Gavi, Pedri, Pau Cubarsi and Ferran Torres. "They controlled the game the whole time and kept the ball. I supported Spain because I spent years at Barcelona and have a lot of friends there, so I was fully behind them. As for Argentina, I only support Messi, but he already won the last World Cup, which is why I hoped Spain would win," he said. He added that Spain could have won sooner, or by a bigger margin, given their full control of the final against an Argentina side that had faced a petition with millions of signatures ahead of the tournament.

Next up is Yamal's hamstring recovery after the tournament and how Barcelona manages his workload once the club season resumes. If the club can restore his fitness without rushing his minutes, Spain and Barcelona could get a sharper version of Yamal, a player who already helped his country win the World Cup while short of full fitness.