Barcelona's Amin Yamal Confident Ahead of Spain's World Cup Round of 16 Match

Amin Yamal, Barcelona winger and Spain national team player, expressed confidence about his fitness and Spain's prospects ahead of their World Cup round of 16 match against Austria. In an interview with COPE, Yamal confirmed he is fit to play the full 90 minutes on Thursday despite recent injury concerns. He acknowledged criticism of Spain's performance in their last three games but emphasized that winning is the priority, saying, "If you play well, you return happy, but if you lose, you return sad." He added that the team is better than their recent displays suggest and stressed the importance of taking things step by step.

Reflecting on his recent goal against Saudi Arabia after returning from injury, Yamal described feeling immense joy, unlike anything he had experienced before. He highlighted the unique nature of the World Cup and confidently stated, "When I come to the tournament, I think we will win it, so I believe we will win the World Cup this year."

Addressing the pressure he faces as a key player capable of changing games, Yamal said he understands the expectations and feels pressure only when unable to meet them, which he believes he can. Regarding boos from the stands, he noted that not all fans will like him, comparing his experience to that of stars like Messi and Ronaldo who have also faced jeers. He concluded by saying he has learned to live with it as part of football.