Lamine Yamal sent a strong message to his Ballon d'Or rival Ousmane Dembele by scoring twice in Spain's 5-4 win over France in the Nations League semifinal on Thursday. Spain will face Portugal in the final on Sunday, giving Yamal a chance to complete European double after winning the Euro last year.

In a match where Dembele failed to score, Yamal scored two crucial goals, helping Spain win the thriller and knocking France out of the Nations League.

The two European heavyweights played a thrilling contest, with the reigning Euro champions coming out on top in a nine-goal thriller.

The Barcelona forward, who enjoyed a remarkable season at club level, troubled France throughout the game. Having been withdrawn with 15 minutes remaining, Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League-winning winger Dembele could only watch from the sidelines as his side came up just short in a thrilling 5-4 defeat.

The brace against France helped Yamal take centre stage as he outshone Dembele, a strong contender for the Ballon d'Or along with Yamal.

"I always tell my mother, what motivates me and what I get up for in the morning is to play football," Yamal told RTVE post-match. "The best thing is to talk on the pitch. Dembele is a great player, but we are in the final."

Meanwhile, Germany's World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger also suggested that Yamal's performance against France could well have helped him secure the Ballon d’Or.

"Ballon d’Or? Lamine Yamal has to be put higher than Dembele," Schweinsteiger told SWR. "Lamine Yamal was better tonight."

Last year, Yamal played a crucial role in Spain’s Euro 2024 campaign, breaking the record for the youngest-ever finalist at 16 years and 338 days.

Yamal is looking forward to Sunday’s final against Portugal, who trounced Germany to register their first win over the European heavyweights in 25 years.

"It will be the same as this match, with players of great world class. We are very good teams and I hope to take the Cup to Spain," said Yamal.