Spain's wonderkid Lamine Yamal won't be allowed to take part in penalties in Euro Cup 2024 final; here's why

Lamine Yamal hit the headlines across the globe after scoring a historic goal for Spain. When La Roja were trailing 1-0 against France in the Euro Cup 2024 semifinal, Yamal scored a remarkable goal from outside the box into the top corner. At 16 years and 362 days old, he became the youngest player to score in the tournament's history.

Now that Spain are looking forward to taking on England in the final, the “wonderkid” will be in focus. While his young age has brought him into the limelight, it is also a cause of concern for Spain.

The final will be held at the Olympiastadion Berlin in Germany. Since German laws will be followed, Lamine Yamal, as per the laws, is not allowed to take part in the Extra Time or the penalties, if the game reaches that stage. German labour laws prohibit minors from working past 8 PM, with a deadline of 11 PM for athletes.

Due to the said laws, Spain had to substitute Yamal in group-stage matches against Croatia, Italy and Albania in the 86th, 71st and 19th minutes, respectively. If Yamal plays after 11 PM, the Spanish Football Association would be fined €30,000 (over ₹27 lakh).

The Euro Cup 2024 final starts at 9 PM. With a 15-minute break in between, the regular 90 minutes should be over before 11 PM even if 5 minutes of injury time are added to each half of the “normal time.” However, the issue will be with Extra Time and penalties.

The €30,000 fine depends on the German government's action. As per reports, they are unlikely to fine Spain even if they violate the labour laws.

Euro Cup 2024 Final

Spain are the team with the highest number of Euro Cup wins (3). They will definitely want to take the number further.

England, on the other hand, will be looking for their maiden glory in the tournament. The only time the Three Lions reached a Euro Cup final was in 2020. They lost to Italy on penalties after the regular time ended in a 1-1 draw.