Luis de la Fuente warns that Lamine Yamal's best has 'yet to come' ahead of Belgium match

[p]Teen sensation [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lamine-yamal/lAt3vEub/"]Yamal[/a] powered Spain to glory at the European Championships two years ago, but has yet to fully shine at a World Cup where other marquee names like [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/messi-lionel/vgOOdZbd/"]Lionel Messi[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mbappe-kylian/Wn6E2SED/"]Kylian Mbappe[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/haaland-erling/UmV9iQmE/"]Erling Haaland[/a] are banging in goals.[/p][p]"[b]We know that the best version of him, the attacking Lamine, is something that we haven't quite seen yet in this World Cup. Not to the level that we're used to[/b]," said De la Fuente.[/p][p]The prodigiously gifted Yamal has just one goal and no assists at the tournament so far, having arrived in the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/usa/fuitL4CF/"]United States[/a] still recovering from a late-season injury.[/p][p]But he has been a constant menace to opposing defenders attacking predominantly down [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/spain/bLyo6mco/"]Spain[/a]'s right flank.[/p][p]Following Spain's late 1-0 win over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/portugal/WvJrjFVN/"]Portugal[/a] in the previous round, De la Fuente had praised Yamal's performance as "[b]one of his best performances[/b]" and "[b]a very important day for his development.[/b]"[/p][p]Asked at Thursday's press conference to clarify those comments, De la Feunte suggested Yamal's intense duel with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mendes-nuno/ne2xCTJj/"]Nuno Mendes[/a] had forced the Portugal full-back to leave the field in the 55th minute.[/p][p]"[b]We were facing a powerhouse of a rival, and the defender who was marking him ultimately had to do so much that he was injured[/b]," said De la Fuente.[/p][embed guid="485a632d-e21f-4830-8db6-77115390ca47" url="https://x.com/GuillemBalague/status/2075284117076201922?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]At still just 18 years of age, Yamal has gained a lesson in "maturity" from the challenges he has faced at this World Cup so far, his coach said.[/p][p]"[b]He doesn't need extra motivation. You actually sometimes have to calm his intensity. He's very motivated -- he wants to do so much,[/b]" said De la Fuente.[/p][p]Spain has yet to concede at this World Cup, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/belgium-GbB957na/spain-bLyo6mco/?mid=MHGPEKi5"]but will be coming up against[/a] a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/belgium/GbB957na/"]Belgium[/a] side that fired four goals past the United States on Monday.[/p][p]Could Friday's quarter-final be the moment for Yamal to find the back of the net again?[/p][p]"[b]He's going to perform on the attacking front - that's very clear,[/b]" said the manager.[/p][p]"[b]He's got incredible potential. And, of course, this is yet to come in some respects.[/b]"[/p]