Although records are meant to be broken, there are some that you can never really predict being lost. Two of those are currently held by 16-year-old Lamine Yamal; the most were established by the renowned Pelé.

Even before he touched the ball on Tuesday, he had already created history by surpassing the Brazilian record to become the youngest player to start a significant international semifinal.

By the time the thirty minutes had passed, he had equalized the score with a brilliant strike from the edge of the box, setting yet another record for Pelé: becoming the youngest player to score in a major tournament semifinal.

The top guys have to step up at the big times. Yamal accomplished this, and Spain can now look forward to the trip to Berlin’s Olympiastadion on Sunday.

As it transpired

The Munich Fооtbаll аrenа suddenly becаme а hive оf аctivity despite а flutter оf vаcаnt seаts. Mаrc Cucurellа wаs heckled severely by the crоwd in the first minute оf plаy. It wаs lаter discоvered thаt the hecklers were Germаn suppоrters whо were upset аbоut Cucurellа’s suspected hаndbаll during their quаrterfinаl mаtch.

Since their arrival in Germany, France’s goalkeeping problems have been widely reported. However, after just nine minutes of play on the day, Randal Kolo Muani had the Bleus back to their outstanding best. The striker seized upon a precise pass from Kylian Mbappé, climbing to the top of the box to nod past Unai Simón and break the red wall that had developed behind the goal.

Fabián Ruiz and Lamine Yamal both stopped trying to pull la Roja level, despite Spain’s seeming lack of conversion from their ball skills. However, they would soon learn that patience is a virtue.

In Bavaria, it had taken just over twenty minutes until Spain hammered home the equalizer. Thundered is an understatement; there’s no denying that this was not the kind of goal you would anticipate a 16-year-old to score on a platform this big.

But to him, age truly is only a number. Álvaro Morata played him in on the edge of the box, and the young player—who just finished his high school diploma—moved past Adrien Rabiot. He threw open his body, skillfully hitting the upper corner, then wheeled away in celebration as his strike ricocheted off the post and crossed the line.

Thus, four minutes after that magical moment, la Roja could hardly believe their good fortune when they took the lead in Munich.

Throughout the tournament, own goals had favored France; however, on Tuesday, Dani Olmo’s thundering attempt bounced off Jules Koundé and past an astonished Mike Maignan, consigning him to merely passenger status.

The story and the screenplay had completely changed in Munich, but one thing remained the same: the audience’s undeniable dislike for Cucurella, who endured ear-piercing jeers right up until the very end.

Frаnce wаs behind аt the hаlf аnd cоntinued tо be behind аs the hоur mаrk drew neаr. Ten minutes intо the secоnd hаlf, Mbаppé’s meek drive fаiled tо test Unаi Simón оr threаten Spаin’s leаd.

Eduardo Camavinga’s well-timed lay-off of Hernández, however, proved to be the most perplexing mistake of the evening. His subsequent attempt was ill-aimed, shooting high over the trees when it would have been simpler to locate the target.

Even Mbappé, who broke his nose on MD1 and was eventually released from the protective mask, was unable to save France; he cut inside and chose force above accuracy, leaving with his head in his hands as the realization of how bad the miss had become.

Despite a rush of late chances for la Roja, it would out to be the game-defining miss. The Frenchman would not have preferred to face this early obstacle, but Mbappé’s EURO2024 adventure has come to an end. However, in the most striking of contrasts, Yamal has come to life and it appears that the Llobregat boy will never stop.

ESP’s lineups are as follows: Williams, Olmo, Yamal; Morata; Cucurella, Laporte, Nacho, and Navas; Ruiz, Rodri

FRA: Maignan; Rabiot, Tchouaméni, Kanté; Kolo Muani, Mbappé, Dembélé; Hernández, Upamecano, Saliba, Koundé