Lamine Yamal announced his presence on the global stage as a 16-year-old in 2024, when he scored one goal and registered four assists to win Young Player of the Tournament for a victorious Spain side at the UEFA Euros.
Two years later, Yamal has fully arrived, as he’s led Barcelona to back-to-back La Liga titles and finished second in Ballon d’Or voting in 2024-25. He’s yet to have a signature World Cup moment, though, only scoring a tap-in against Saudi Arabia in the group stage and failing to register an assist thus far. He’s running out of games to salvage a mediocre maiden World Cup. Will his opportunity come in today’s 3 p.m. ET quarterfinal clash against Belgium?
Spain vs. Belgium odds, bracket scenarios
La Roja are -155 favorites to win in regular time (-300 to advance to the semifinals) at DraftKings Sportsbook, and the Red Devils are +425 (+230 to advance). There are +290 odds that the teams will require extra time. The winner will go on to face France, which ousted Morocco in the other semifinal yesterday.
Lamine Yamal Best Prop Bet
Lamine Yamal 5+ Shots (+165): Yamal attempted five shots in just 45 minutes in the group stage against Saudi Arabia, and he also attempted five in the Round of 32 against Austria. He’s clearly unafraid to fire from any distance, and Belgium has the second-weakest remaining defense in the competition.
Best Lamine Yamal Prop Bet
Lamine Yamal 5+ Shots (+165)
Yamal has only attempted five shots in two of his five matches so far this tournament, but he has averaged 4.86 shots per 90 minutes, the fifth-most of any player. Now that he’s further removed from the hamstring strain that ended his club season early, he should be in line to play all 90 minutes for the first time this tournament. Despite relatively modest output by his standards, Yamal has still been arguably Spain’s best player, ranking sixth in progressive carrying distance and producing the most carries ending in a shot. He’s the fulcrum of La Roja’s attack, but Luis de la Fuente’s side arguably has the deepest combination of playmakers on the planet, with two teammates in the top four by completed passes in the final third per 90 minutes. The brilliant midfield trio of Pedri, Rodri, and Dani Olmo should be able to help him set up easy looks.
He has a fairly favorable matchup in Belgium, one of the weaker defenses remaining in the competition. So far this tournament, the Red Devils have allowed 1.23 expected goals per match, the second-most among teams still alive. Additionally, Belgium has given up 10.60 shots per match, fewer than only Norway. Maxim de Cuyper is a decent left-back but not a superstar, as among players with at least 320 minutes this tournament, he ranks just 89th in ground duel win rate (52.6%) and 86th in tackles per 90 minutes (1.41). The Red Devils have also allowed the third-most free kicks, and Yamal is Spain’s primary free kick taker, especially on chances close to the goal.