Lamine Yamal’s girlfriend makes unusual public request ahead of Spain’s World Cup final push

L

amine Yamal has said that being one of Spain’s biggest stars does not feel like pressure.

His focus is simply on playing football and making the country proud. But

a recent request from his girlfriend could make him see things a little differently if he wants to make her happy

.

One of FIFA’s biggest changes for this World Cup is the introduction of an 11-minute halftime show during the final.

It has already been announced that Shakira, BTS, Coldplay, Madonna, and Canadian singer Justin Bieber will perform during the event

. Bieber's inclusion quickly caught the attention of many fans, including Yamal's girlfriend,

Inés García, who has openly shown she is a big fan of the pop star.

A request that caught fans' attention

In an Instagram post,

García asked Yamal to do whatever it takes to reach the World Cup final.

Her message quickly went viral because

it appeared to focus on the chance to watch Justin Bieber perform rather than on the significance of playing in football's biggest match

. Many traditional football fans criticized the post, saying

it made it seem as though the final mattered more because of the halftime show than because of Yamal's opportunity to compete for the sport's most prestigious trophy

. Others pointed to it as another example of the tournament becoming too Americanized.

If Yamal previously felt no pressure, that may have changed after the public request. Still,

Spain has plenty of work left to do

. The team has not performed at the level many expected from one of the tournament favorites,

meaning García may have to lower her expectations while Spain continues its World Cup journey

Spain still has work to do

Spain will face Belgium in the quarterfinals, putting the team one step closer to fulfilling García's request.

However, nothing is guaranteed after Belgium delivered a dominant performance against hosts United States to book its place in the next round.

Spain will need its best performance of the tournament if it hopes to move one step closer to the World Cup final

—and to the halftime show that unexpectedly became part of the conversation.