The Spain international needed only three minutes to make an impact. Yamal capitalised on a mistake in England’s defence, won possession and calmly finished the move to give Spain the lead. England responded and managed to turn the game around, but Spain completed the comeback thanks to goals from Álex Baena and Mikel Oyarzabal.

Yamal’s goal at Wembley has once again fuelled the conversation surrounding the Ballon d'Or. The young Barcelona forward is among the nominees for the 2026 award and continues to attract attention with his performances for both club and country.

However, the England match will not officially count towards the 2026 Ballon d'Or voting period. The award considers performances from 3 August 2025 to 19 July 2026, meaning the Wembley clash belongs to the following evaluation cycle.

Even so, performances like this help keep Yamal firmly in the international spotlight. Scoring at Wembley, doing so for Spain and playing a decisive role in a major international fixture strengthens Lamine Yamal’s status as one of the most prominent young stars in world football.

With the Ballon d'Or ceremony approaching, Yamal’s name remains closely linked with football’s biggest individual prize. His current nomination is based on what he achieved during the official assessment period, while his latest performances suggest that he is already building momentum for the next stage of his career.