Flashscore Prize 2024: Lamine Yamal, goal of the year at the Euro!

At the end of each year, editors from our 14 editorial offices are traditionally invited to vote for the annual Flashscore awards, which highlight the best moments of the past year in the world of football. This time, more than 50 votes were cast in each category. The Goal of the Year award went to Lamine Yamal, who received 19.6% of the votes.

The superb golazo of Lamine Yamal (17 years old) was measured against memorable achievements such as the magnificent return of the Argentinian Walter Bou de Lanús against Tigre or the spectacular “rabona” by Jaden Philogene for Hull City against Rotherham United.

This beautiful goal was crucial for Spain's victory in the Euro semi-final against France. Luis de la Fuente's players were trailing in the ninth minute by a goal from Randal Kolo Muani. However, just 12 minutes later, the young prodigy from Rocafonda, still 16 years old, brilliantly set the record straight. Dani Olmo then completed the comeback and Spain lifted their fourth Euro title in Berlin after beating England in the final.

Regarding the goal: A pass from Dani Olmo found Lamine Yamal a few meters outside the area after a counter-attack. Initially oriented to the right, he quickly changed direction to the left, unbalancing his direct opponent, Adrien Rabiot, before hitting the ball over the defense and into the left corner, out of reach of Mike Maignan.

Lamine Yamal commented on his goal after the match: “I just remember that Dani Olmo had the ball, he gave it to me, I didn't really think because everything happened very quickly, but I felt confident and tried to aim for the top corner, and luckily it worked.“

This goal made Lamine Yamal the youngest top scorer in history during a Euro or World Cup final phase. Before him, the record was held by the legendary Pelé. The Spanish player was 16 years and 362 days old at the time of his goal, while Pelé was 17 years and 239 days old when he scored his first goal in the World Cup finals in Sweden in 1958.

In October, Yamal was honored with the Kopa Trophy for Best U21 Player of the Year. Before this goal, he had tried his luck 13 times in the tournament, and it was worth waiting for the 14th.

To underline that this goal was not the result of chance, the young Spaniard, who became an indisputable starter at FC Barcelona in 2024, had already scored a memorable goal a year earlier, on July 9, 2023, with a similar strike during the half. -final of the U17 European Championship against France.

Four minutes after Yamal's equalizer, Dani Olmo, who had provided the assist, scored in turn dribbling through the French defense to deceive Maignan.

Olmo thus became the first player to score in three consecutive matches in the final phase of the Euro. Note that Jesús Navas (38 years and 231 days) became the oldest player to play in a Euro semi-final, which he accomplished against France.