JAKARTA - Robert Lewandowski praised Lamine Yamal for helping Spain win the 2026 World Cup despite not playing his best game during the tournament due to injury.
Lamine Yamal entered the tournament with a hamstring injury that kept him out of several of Barcelona's final matches in LaLiga.
Initially, the injury limited his participation for Spain during the 2026 World Cup. However, he was able to appear eight times for Spain throughout the tournament, with coach Luis de la Fuente arranging his playing time in the first few matches.
The 19-year-old scored one goal in 616 minutes of play and completed the most dribbles in the tournament with 35.
He remained a constant threat on the right flank as Spain beat giants Portugal in the last 16 and France in the semi-finals, before beating defending champions Argentina 1-0 in the final.
"To be honest, no, we didn't (see his best performance in this tournament). Lamine's best performance is the best, in my opinion, of course, not last season, but two seasons ago. That is the best version of Lamine Yamal in my opinion at the moment."
"He's young, he's coming to the 2026 World Cup after an injury. He didn't play for about eight weeks. So, it's difficult if you don't play for eight weeks and you have to start playing in the World Cup, then you don't have time to train from game to game."
"However, he showed very good quality. The Spanish players and the team helped Lamine. Lamine also helped the whole team. I think this cooperation is perfect," Lewandowski told ESPN.
Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal were once teammates at Barcelona, where the two played together in 127 matches in all competitions.
The Polish striker, whose country failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, said his time at Barcelona made him support Spain in the final against Lionel Messi and Argentina.
"I know a lot of players from Spain. I spent a lot of time in Barcelona with them. So, I really support them."
"Of course, I only know Leo from Argentina personally, but I know that he won the 2022 World Cup. That's why I support Spain. If you play with them, you spend a lot of time together, then it will be easier to support this team."
"I'm happy because I know they are ready to win the 2026 World Cup. They are still very young and the future is ahead of them," said Lewandowski.
After leaving Barcelona at the end of the 2025/2026 season, Lewandowski joined Major League Soccer (MLS) club Chicago Fire, FC as a free transfer player with a two-year contract on June 29, 2026.
He said he would not play for another European team after Barcelona, which is one of the reasons he is considering MLS as a potential destination.
After meeting with head coach Gregg Berhalter and visiting Chicago, he knew it was the right move for him.
"After I decided to leave Barcelona, I didn't want to stay in Europe. After Barcelona, I couldn't imagine myself in another team in Europe and that's why I didn't look in Europe."
"I'm just looking outside Europe. Two destinations or maybe even three, but one thing is for sure, the next step for me is on a different continent."
"After the few days I spent in Chicago, I have to say that this city is amazing. The people are very friendly and my new teammates."
"They tried to help me a lot. I appreciate it because the first days felt very long. You have to organize everything."
"I also have a lot of things to do and in the end you also have to focus on football because this is the most important thing. So, day by day I feel much better," said Lewandowski.
Lewandowski made his MLS debut on Thursday, July 23, 2026 WIB, against Inter Miami at Nu Stadium, Miami. Inter Miami beat Chicago 3-2 with goals in the final minutes.
He was expected to play on July 16, 2026 against Vancouver Whitecaps, but the match was postponed due to unhealthy air quality caused by forest fires in Canada.
"I'm ready to do this and try to help my teammates and my new club to take the next step, and to win some titles," Lewandowski said.
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