2026 World Cup: Mbappé, Lamine Yamal's favorite victim

14.07.26 FT World Cup

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After a semifinal win with Spain, Lamine Yamal further deepens Kylian Mbappé's woes, with the Barcelona prodigy now beating him for the sixth time in a row.

Clearly, Kylian Mbappé just can't seem to get the better of Lamine Yamal. Following Spain's victory in the 2026 World Cup semifinal, the Barça forward now boasts nine wins in eleven encounters against the Les Bleus captain, across all competitions, both for club and country.

Read also: 2026 World Cup / England - Argentina: head-to-head history

Indeed, the Frenchman is now on a six-game losing streak, with only two personal victories over his Spanish rival. On the international stage, Mbappé has lost all three semifinals he's played against Yamal's Spain—at Euro 2024, the 2025 Nations League, and now at this World Cup.

The trend is the same at club level, with Real Madrid also suffering three straight defeats to Barça since 2025, further cementing Lamine Yamal's status as Mbappé's nemesis.

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

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