The final of the UEFA Nations League has left many takeaways, but one of the most striking has been the way certain sectors of the Madrid press have reacted to Spain's defeat against Portugal. Instead of focusing on the team's collective play or the lack of accuracy in the penalty shootout, they've chosen to center their criticism on Lamine Yamal.
During the 120 minutes the match lasted, the player in question didn't have his best day. He couldn't break the balance as he usually does or get past defenders with his usual boldness. That, for some, was enough to make him the scapegoat for the entire defeat. The most striking thing is that, up to that point, he had been one of Spain's main driving forces in the tournament.
selective memory and double standards
There's no need to look far back to find the decisive actions he delivered in this very Nations League. A stunning goal against the Netherlands (Países Bajos) and a brace in the semifinal against France supported his presence in the final. However, all of that was ignored by the media the next day, as if one bad night erased several great weeks.
He has also been blamed for a lack of defensive sacrifice in the second goal conceded by Spain, when in fact the play began with a marking error by a teammate who left him exposed in the one-on-one. From the first minute of the match, Spain's right back struggled to contain the scorer of Portugal's first goal, who ended up being chosen as the player of the match.
structural problems no one mentions
Spain, beyond individual names, showed tactical shortcomings that go beyond a single play. The system couldn't neutralize Portugal's strengths, nor did it offer clear ways to take advantage of their strikers' skills. In this context, it's questionable to place the blame for the defeat on the shoulders of a 17-year-old.
It doesn't help either that Luis de la Fuente's management has insisted on fullbacks who haven't been up to the task throughout the competition. The most obvious case is the right back, who was outplayed in every duel and couldn't link up with the winger on his side.
injustice or campaign?
Some see in this disproportionate criticism a recurring pattern: when a Barça academy graduate shines with the national team, the dominant media narrative seems to wait for his first misstep to hold it against him. Others believe it's simply the price of fame: being in the spotlight when things go well and also when they don't.
Either way, the truth is that the criticism doesn't hold up if the entire tournament is analyzed. His contribution was decisive at key moments and his leadership, precocious but firm, has been one of the revelations of the championship. We're not talking about just any player, but about a footballer who's already making a difference at the elite level.
At just 17 years old, he has been Spain's attacking soul throughout the tournament... now he's carrying a responsibility that doesn't belong to him.