Yamal rules Seville at 8.1, but our index refuses the 9.8 hype

The index verdict from Seville is clear: Spain were excellent without anyone being perfect. Lamine Yamal tops our grades at 8.1 — comfortably the best player on the pitch — but that is nowhere near the 9.8 the reference rating handed him. A 1.7-point gap on the night's star is our loudest dissent: brilliance, yes; flawless, no.

The middle of our board is calmer: Fermín López (7.4), Pedri (7.2) and the Pubill–Cubarsí pairing (7.0 apiece) sit within touching distance of the reference, while Croatia's best in a heavy defeat were Vušković, Perišić and Beljo in the mid-6s. When the gap widens, trust the index.