Martin Rogers
FOX Sports Insider
DUSSELDORF, Germany — For “Bild,” Germany’s best-selling tabloid newspaper, the wordplay was too good to pass up. “Jamal v. Yamal,” its front page screamed earlier this week, posing the question as to which of Euro 2024’s uber-talents will prevail on Friday.
Unstoppable-looking Spain against rampant host nation Germany (12 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app) is such a historically juicy quarterfinal that no accompanying subplot is necessary, but there is one nonetheless.
If youthful excellence has been one of the hallmarks of this tournament, two of its primary torchbearers will both feature in Stuttgart. Jamal Musiala and Lamine Yamal are beyond the point now where everything positive they do is a delightful bonus.
Germany’s 21-year-old playmaker Musiala and Spain’s irrepressible 16-year-old winger Yamal have been so consistently good – actually much, much better than good – that each now has genuine and palpable expectation upon his shoulders.
Just don’t expect it to show.
“Such responsibility is a lot of fun,” Musiala told Germany’s Sky Sport.
Fun? How exactly?
“(The coach) gives me a lot of trust and freedom,” he added. “I need that too. I can follow my instincts, play freely and make mistakes as well. Defensive work is important, but so is freedom. And he gives me that. I feel the trust.”
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This is the “real” final, so the narrative goes, and how could you argue? We’re lucky to have these two talents to watch as the hottest duel of an epic showdown. And unfortunate, in that one of them is guaranteed to be departing the competition before the weekend hits.
Spain doesn’t put Yamal in front of the media very often, either because he’s busy doing his homework or because they’re trying to, you know, give him some remaining semblance of normalcy while he turns into a global sensation.
Chances are though, that he’d echo something similar to Musiala’s words, for the level of liberty Luis de la Fuente gives him down the wing has parallels to how Musiala has license to craft from Julian Nagelsmann.
If you want to state as fact that Germany and Spain have been the best two teams in the tournament so far, you’re on solid ground. It won’t be the last time you hear this before kickoff, or perhaps even before the end of this article.
Part of the reason for that is the way both sides play with effervescence. They used speed and dynamism, but they are also not afraid to be whimsically creative, almost playful, with their attacking intent. Mere coincidence that their most innovative players are so young? Surely not.
Think of the stodginess of some of the teams remaining, like England’s blundering, saved only by its own 21-year-old, Jude Bellingham, deciding to go rogue and equalizing with an audacious bicycle kick against Slovakia. Or France’s occasionally confused habit of overthinking and overplaying.
None of that from this pair.
“To be at his level at 16 is really amazing,” Musiala added. “At 16, I didn’t have the physical prerequisites to train with the first team. And he can consistently play and keep up at this level. That’s really cool to see.
“Spain have a lot of players who bring their value to the team and are dangerous. Whether it’s Nico Williams, Yamal, or Pedri, these are all players who can decide a game on their own. But, we have that too and that’s why we have to have confidence in ourselves.”
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Confidence is part of what makes this clash so appetizing. Both teams clearly have it, you only need watch them for a few minutes to see it.
When potential adversity has arisen, they have swatted it away with such ease that it borders on arrogance. Germany romped home in the last 16 against Denmark, thrusting into top gear the moment the Danes had a goal ruled out for offside by the length of a toe. Spain went behind to Georgia, then turned on the jets to blast four of their own.
There’s no shortage of belief in the Spanish camp, either.
“Germany is a touch opponent and yes, this could be a final,” forward Dani Olmo told reporters. “Until now, neither of us have lost. The numbers say we are the best two teams.
“If you want to reach the final, you have to face the best. I’d rather play them now than in the final. Let’s go for it.”
With momentum behind them, and a fearless youthful wizard each, you know they’ll both do that.
Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports. Follow him on Twitter @MRogersFOX and subscribe to the daily newsletter.
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