Hours after helping Spain reach FIFA World Cup 2026 final, burglars attempt break-in at Lamine Yamal's Barcelona home

An attempted burglary was reported at the Barcelona home of Spain forward Lamine Yamal on Wednesday, just hours after he helped his national team secure a place in the World Cup final, according to police and local media reports.

"There was an attempted" burglary "at a home in Esplugues de Llobregat" on the outskirts of Barcelona, a spokesperson for the Catalan regional police told AFP.

While the police did not reveal the identity of the homeowner, citing privacy reasons, Barcelona-based newspaper La Vanguardia reported that the property belongs to the 19-year-old footballer.

According to the report, two individuals wearing balaclavas climbed over the property's perimeter wall but fled after being confronted by private security personnel.

La Vanguardia also noted that the house is widely recognised because it was previously owned by former Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué and his former partner, Colombian singer Shakira, during the time they lived together in the city.

The attempted break-in took place in the early hours of Wednesday, shortly after Spain defeated France 2-0 in Texas to book their place in the World Cup final.

Yamal played a key role in the victory, winning a first-half penalty that Mikel Oyarzabal converted to give Spain the lead.

The incident is the latest in a series of burglaries targeting high-profile footballers in Spain. In recent years, players including Karim Benzema, Rodrygo and Dani Carvajal have also experienced break-ins at their homes.

Spain become first team to achieve unique World Cup defensive record after beating France

Spain booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final with a 2-0 victory over France in the second semi-final at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Tuesday (14 July).

Mikel Oyarzabal put La Roja ahead from the penalty spot in the 22nd minute before Pedro Porro sealed the result with a second goal in the 58th minute, ending France's hopes of reaching the final.

Spain set unprecedented World Cup milestone

The victory did more than secure Spain a place in the title clash. It also saw the side become the first team in FIFA World Cup history to record six clean sheets in a single edition of the tournament.

Spain have been one of the standout defensive teams throughout the competition, conceding only once in seven matches.

Their campaign began with a goalless draw against Cape Verde before they defeated Saudi Arabia 4-0 and Uruguay 1-0 to progress from the group stage.

In the knockout rounds, Spain beat Austria 3-0 in the Round of 32, edged past Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal 1-0 in the Round of 16, and overcame Belgium 2-1 in the quarter-finals before blanking France in the semi-finals.

Only one player has scored against Spain

Belgium forward Charles De Ketelaere remains the only player to have found the net against Spain at the FIFA World Cup 2026.

He scored in the 41st minute of Spain's 2-1 quarter-final victory over Belgium at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on 10 July. Despite conceding that goal, Spain held on to advance and have since continued their impressive defensive run into the final.

(With inputs from news agency AFP)