Lamine Yamal becomes youngest-ever men’s Euros goalscorer with strike against France

Lamine Yamal became the youngest-ever player to score at a men’s European Championship on Tuesday, when he netted a wonder goal for Spain.

Lamal, 16, fired a long-range shot into the top corner from outside France’s penalty area, equalising for his nation after Randal Kolo Muani’s early opener in the Euro 2024 semi-final.

With his goal, the winger broke a 20-year record; at Euro 2004, then-18-year-old Johan Vonlanthen scored for Switzerland against France, four days after Wayne Rooney set a record by scoring against the Swiss.

Isabell Herlovsen remains the youngest-ever player to have scored in a European Championship; the Norwegian was 11 days younger than Yamal is now when she netted against France in 2005.

Shortly after Yamal’s goal, teammate Dani Olmo saw a shot deflected into the French net after an attempted block by Jules Kounde.

Yamal has been one of the standout performers at Euro 2024 in Germany, with Spain themselves having been the consensus most impressive side.

Luis de la Fuente’s team eliminated hosts Germany in the quarter-finals, having eased past Georgia in the last 16. Prior to those games, La Roja topped their group comfortably, beating Croatia handily, Italy and Albania.