Lamine Yamal didn't score, but a sneaky play helped Spain beat France in the World Cup semifinals

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Lamine Yamal sensed an opportunity, taking off toward Lucas Digne as the France defender was trying to clear a ball he had just headed awkwardly in his own penalty area.

Digne didn't even see Yamal coming when he raised a leg for a clearing kick. His foot crashed into the Spain forward's thigh, and the penalty call that followed put La Roja in position to take the lead for good.

Yamal has scored only one goal on Spain's run to the World Cup final, ensured by a 2-0 victory over France in the semifinals on Tuesday. Coach Luis de la Fuente tried to say there were other things besides scoring when he was asked about the teen sensation the day before the match, on the Barcelona star's 19th birthday.

At 19 and 1 day old, Yamal offered his coach an example in what has been his debut on soccer's biggest stage.

“This team interprets to perfection every play of the game,” de la Fuente said through a translator after Spain advanced to final in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday against either defending champion Argentina or England.

Yamal's heady play led to the penalty kick, but Mikel Oyarzabal was the choice for that. His perfectly placed shot into the upper right corner in the 22nd minute was his team-leading fifth goal of the tournament.

Yamal, who didn't talk to reporters after the match, still doesn't have an assist to go with his only goal, but Spain wouldn't have had a halftime lead without him against a France team that many considered to be the favorite to win another World Cup title.

“Everyone has the same direction, the same idea, being aware of what is important,” Oyarzabal said in translated remarks. “In the end, you try to put what everyone has, what everyone can give to the team, to the service of the team.”

When de la Fuente said on the eve of the meeting with France that he thought Yamal's big day was coming, he was talking about scoring goals.

As young as he is, Yamal has the perspective to believe scoring isn't all that matters, even though he shared the Barcelona lead in goals with Spain teammate Ferrán Torres last season with 16.

“I think that in the end, I play as I am and I will never play better than I am or worse than I really am,” Yamal said in translated remarks on Monday. “So I only give what I have, always at the service of the team, always to the maximum. So when you give everything and you know that's what people ask you to do, you don’t feel pressure.”

Yamal applied the pressure in a key moment of the World Cup semifinals, and La Roja is moving on as a result.

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

France's Desire Doue (20) falls after being fouled by Spain's Lamine Yamal (19) during the World Cup semifinal soccer match between France and Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Spain's Mikel Oyarzabal celebrates scoring from the penalty spot the opening goal during a World Cup semifinal soccer match between France and Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

France goalkeeper Mike Maignan saves a shot from Spain's Lamine Yamal during the World Cup semifinal soccer match between France and Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Spain's Pedro Porro, right, and Spain's Lamine Yamal celebrate after the World Cup semifinal soccer match between France and Spain in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — One person died, two people were missing and 16 others from a pontoon boat were rescued Tuesday afternoon from the waters off San Francisco, authorities said.

San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispen reported the toll and said crews that arrived on the scene near Alcatraz Island found a three-deck pontoon vessel that was carrying 19 people.

“It was a vessel that was capsized and mostly under the water,” Crispen said.

The boating mishap was initially reported as a fire, “but we now don’t have any evidence of that,” Crispen said.

Some of the people were injured from falling into the water, but there were no reports of burns, Crispen said. The person who died was plucked from the water along with the 16 but died later.

Crews continued to search the water for the missing with divers, helicopters and 11 vessels, he added: “Right now we are in full rescue mode.”

All those rescued were taken to Gashouse Cove Marina, a small craft harbor in San Francisco.

Fire Lt. Mariano Elias said the vessel, described as a “ponton pleasure boat,” was about 600 yards (about 550 meters) from Alcatraz and the emergency call came in just after 3:30 p.m., he said.

Crispen said the boat was believed to have launched near the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco

Video images from a local Fox station showed a Fire Department boat deployed to rescue people who had been on the vessel, which was largely submerged with objects floating nearby.

Live video from the scene showed a man and a woman wrapped in blankets and sitting near an ambulance.

The Coast Guard and Oakland police also helped rescue people, Elias said.

Emergency crews gather at a dock near the site of a pontoon boat fire on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Emergency crews stage near the site of a pontoon boat fire on Tuesday, July 14, 2026 in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Haven Daley)

An Oakland Police boat is docked near the site of a pontoon boat fire on Tuesday, July 14, 2026 in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Haven Daley)

A U.S. Coast Guard crew patrols near the site of a pontoon boat fire on Tuesday, July 14, 2026 in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Emergency crews gather at a dock near the site of a pontoon boat fire on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)