“Lamine Yamal’s Concise Message to Adrien Rabiot After Spectacular Goal in Spain’s Semi-Final Victory, Amid Midfielder’s Earlier Underestimation
Spanish prodigy Lamine Yamal delivered a succinct message to French midfielder Adrien Rabiot after guiding his team to the Euro 2024 final on Tuesday night.
Yamal sparked Spain’s comeback following an early goal by Randal Kolo Muani, curling a spectacular strike from 25 yards into the net in the 21st minute. Dani Olmo added another four minutes later, securing Spain’s victory, with Yamal rightfully stealing the spotlight.
Ahead of the semi-final clash, Rabiot had attempted to downplay Yamal’s impact at Euro 2024. Yamal responded pointedly after the match, heading straight for the cameras and repeating the two-word message: “speak now.”
Asked by the media about Rabiot’s remarks, Yamal calmly stated, “Rabiot’s words? There’s no need to give them importance.” However, his initial on-camera message appeared to be a direct jab at the Frenchman.
Earlier, Rabiot had commented, “We saw that he [Yamal] was a player who knew how to handle pressure very well. He has a lot of qualities. He is capable of playing with his qualities at club level as well as in major tournaments, without pressure.”
Yamal’s response on Instagram before the match was cryptic yet pointed: “Move in silence. Only speak when it’s time to say checkmate.”
The young sensation backed up his words with a memorable performance on the field, notably twisting away from Rabiot before unleashing his remarkable goal. Turning 17 soon, Yamal had already contributed three assists in Spain’s earlier matches, but his goal in this match marked a historic moment as the youngest-ever scorer in Euros history.
His goal is a strong contender for the tournament’s best, leaving France captain Kylian Mbappe in awe, unable to do more than nod in admiration.
Post-match, BBC pundit Rio Ferdinand suggested Rabiot learn from the experience, commenting, “Rabiot should thank Yamal for the lesson: don’t speak before big games in the future.” Whether Rabiot took this advice is uncertain, but on this occasion, his words backfired as Spain advanced to the final and France exited the tournament.
