Lamine Yamal.
“I’m here": Lamine Yamal responds to Saudi fans' taunts
- Lamine Yamal scores his first World Cup goal in Spain’s win over Saudi Arabia.
- Barcelona star made his tournament debut after recovering from a hamstring injury.
- Spain coach Luis de la Fuente says the teenager is in perfect condition.
Spanish phenom Lamine Yamal didn't just make his mark on the pitch during the 2026 World Cup on Sunday, he made sure his detractors hear about it too.
The 18-year-old Barcelona winger, who has been carefully managing his return from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the final stretch of the club season, came off the bench to score his first-ever World Cup goal just 11 minutes after subbing into Spain's emphatic victory over Saudi Arabia.
Yamal fires back on social media
The teenage star faced a hostile atmosphere from the traveling Saudi contingent, who were captured in videos chanting "Where is Yamal?" in an attempt to rattle the young forward.
Yamal got the last laugh, however. Following the final whistle, the winger uploaded a series of match images and videos to his Instagram account, directly highlighting the clips of the Saudi fans' taunts. He captioned the post with a sharp, succinct retort: "I’m here."
"Let’s go Spain!! Thank you all for the support, always with God," Yamal added in his post, celebrating both the victory and his personal milestone on the world stage.
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While Yamal’s fiery social media presence turned heads, Spain manager Luis de la Fuente focused on the tactical significance of getting his superstar winger back to full match fitness.
Yamal had previously looked sharp during a brief cameo against Cape Verde in Spain's group opener, but his 45-minute shift against Saudi Arabia marked a significant step forward.
De la Fuente expressed immense satisfaction with the player's physical recovery and trajectory.
"We had to see how the match unfolded, but today was an important step for what lies ahead," the Spain boss told reporters post-match. "He is in perfect condition now and it’s also good to leave it at that — leaving him hungry for more."
