The debate between Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé isn't particularly close right now, and certainly not since the 2026 FIFA World Cup has started. While Mbappé has asserted his dominance on the world stage with a tournament-high eight goals, Yamal has yet to hit his stride, recording just one goal contribution. But there is one area Yamal might have a mental advantage in going into France and Spain's semifinal showdown at Dallas Stadium on Tuesday, and that's his record against Mbappé in eliminations matches at the club and international level.
Through five matches across all competitions, Mbappé has never beaten Yamal in an elimination scenario. He'll be hoping to break that curse as he looks to make his third appearance in the World Cup final, while Yamal will do everything he can to maintain the status quo and make his first-ever World Cup finla. Ahead of the matachup, here is a look back at every time Yamal and Mbappé have gone head-to-head in an elimination match: Euro 2024 Semifinal: Spain 2, France 1 The first time these two faced off in a single-elimination match came two years ago, also in a semifinal, but at the European Championship.
Spain came into that Euro 2024 semifinal flying, having put together a marvelous tournament up to that point. La Roja went perfect in the group stage, winning all three matches, then beat Georgia comfortably in the round of 16 before knocking out host nation Germany in the quarterfinals. France, meanwhile, had a relatively slow start to the tournament.
Les Bleus failed to win their group, managing five points in the group stage, before grinding out knockout wins over Belgium and Portugal. France beat Belgium 1-0 in the round of 16, then defeated Portugal on penalties after a 0-0 draw in the quarterfinals. Spain had the momentum, but an early goal from Randal Kolo Muani stirred the pot and gave France the lead.
Then came a moment of magic from Yamal, who scored a long-distance pearler to bring Spain level. Dani Olmo then scored off a Jules Koundé deflection, giving Spain a 2-1 lead before halftime. Spain managed to hang on, winning the semifinal before going on to beat England in the final and win the entire tournament.
2025 Supercopa Final: Barcelona 5, Real Madrid 2 Played at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 5-2 in a thriller. Real Madrid took the initial lead, and it was Mbappé himself who opened the scoring in the fifth minute. But Barcelona responded in a major way, scoring five unanswered goals, with the first coming from Yamal in the 22nd minute.
Real Madrid eventually got another goal later in the match after Szczęsny was sent off in the second half, but it was not enough for Madrid to make it competitive. Barcelona ran away with the final and Yamal got another knockout win over Mbappé. 2025 Copa del Rey Final: Barcelona 3, Real Madrid 2 This was an absolute thriller of a Copa del Rey final played at La Cartuja in Seville, with Barcelona getting the better of Real Madrid 3-2 after extra time.
Mbappé got on the scoresheet with a goal, while Yamal did not score but still made a major impact with two assists. Barcelona took the initial lead through Pedri in the first half, but it looked like Real Madrid might be on its way to victory after Mbappé equalized in the 70th minute and Aurélien Tchouaméni scored a go-ahead goal in the 77th. But Barcelona responded with an equalizer of its own from Ferran Torres in the 84th minute to push the game into extra time.
Then came the decisive moment. A late mistake from Brahim Díaz, who did not sense Jules Koundé coming, allowed the French defender to intercept a Luka Modrić pass before blasting in the extra-time winner. Barcelona lifted the Copa del Rey trophy, and Yamal once again came out on top against Mbappé.
2025 Nations League Semifinal: Spain 5, France 4 The most recent time the two national teams faced before this World Cup semifinal came on June 5, 2025, when Spain got the better of France in a wild 5-4 Nations League semifinal. The scoreline made the game look closer than it really was for long stretches. Spain was in full control at one point, leading 5-1 in the 79th minute.
But goals from Rayan Cherki, a Dani Vivian own goal and a stoppage-time goal from Kolo Muani made it 5-4 and turned the final minutes into chaos. Yamal scored twice, including one from the spot, while Mbappé also scored a penalty himself. Spain earned a trip to the Nations League final, where it would eventually fall to Portugal.
But in terms of the Yamal-Mbappé single-elimination matchup, it was another win for Yamal. 2026 Supercopa Final: Barcelona 3, Real Madrid 2 The last time these two faced off in a single-elimination match was the Supercopa final in January of this year. Playing in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia again, Barcelona got the better of Real Madrid in another thriller, winning 3-2.
Raphinha gave Barcelona the initial lead before Vinícius Jr. equalized in first-half stoppage time. Barcelona immediately answered, also in stoppage time, with Robert Lewandowski giving them the advantage. But there was still more chaos before halftime, as Gonzalo García leveled it for Real Madrid and sent the teams into the break at 2-2.
Raphinha eventually scored the winner in a less action-packed second half, with his 73rd-minute goal giving Barcelona the Supercopa de España. Barcelona had to play the final moments with 10 men after Frenkie de Jong was sent off in stoppage time for a foul on Mbappé, but it still held on. That made it five single-elimination meetings between Yamal and Mbappé, and five wins for Yamal.
Now, with Spain and France meeting in a World Cup semifinal, Mbappé gets another chance to finally get one over Yamal when the stakes are at their highest.
