Yamal’s confident stance
Spain teenager Lamine Yamal has expressed strong confidence regarding their upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final match against France. Following Spain’s 2-1 quarter-final victory over Belgium at Los Angeles Stadium, Yamal stated that La Roja has no reason to fear Didier Deschamps‘ side. He suggested that France should instead be concerned about facing the Spanish team.
Yamal highlighted Spain’s recent record against Les Bleus, noting that they have eliminated France in the UEFA Euro 2024 semi-finals. Spain also secured a victory against France in the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League. The Barcelona winger believes that France has not defeated Spain since these encounters.
“If France should fear anyone, it’s us,” Yamal told reporters. He added, “We have knocked them out [before]. We have beat them two times. Honestly, I think we’re the two best teams at the World Cup, so we’ll see what happens, but we do not have any fear.”
Spain secured their spot in the last four after Mikel Merino scored the winning goal late against Belgium. This came after Fabián Ruiz‘s opener was cancelled out by Charles De Ketelaere.
Spain’s journey to the semi-finals
The semi-final match between Spain and France will take place in Arlington, Texas, with a spot in the World Cup final at stake. This encounter adds another chapter to the evolving rivalry between the two nations.
Spain’s victory over Belgium extended their national team’s unbeaten run since a 1-0 defeat to Colombia in March 2024. During this period, they have recorded 27 wins and nine draws.
Spain’s path through the tournament has seen them progress without a loss. They began with a goalless draw against Cape Verde, followed by victories over Saudi Arabia and Uruguay to top their group. They then defeated Austria 3-0 in the Round of 32 before securing wins against Portugal and Belgium, both through late goals from Merino.
Yamal acknowledged that Spain’s dominance might not always be apparent, attributing this to the cautious approach adopted by their opponents. “It may seem as if we’re not playing great, but every team we play sits back against us,” he explained. “No one has gone toe-to-toe with us, but in the end we got the win again today. That is the most important thing.”
The 18-year-old winger has contributed one goal in his six World Cup appearances and maintains a central creative role in Luis de la Fuente‘s attack. Yamal will turn 19 on Monday.
Coaches’ perspectives
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente echoed his player’s confidence while also acknowledging the challenge France presents. “The expectations are very, very high for the next game,” De la Fuente stated. “We’re concentrated on this next game and very well aware of the potential of our opponent at the next game. But also we are very clear that we are able to beat France.”
De la Fuente further noted, “We’ve had a semifinal against them. We were successful. The game will be very demanding. It’ll be energetic. We’ll need to have the best version of ourselves.” He also suggested that the respect is mutual, adding, “It’s fair to think we’ll work to beat them; I think they’re just as worried.”
France arrives in Arlington with a strong record, having won all six of their matches in the tournament. Didier Deschamps’ team defeated Sweden, Paraguay, and Morocco in the knockout rounds after achieving maximum points in Group I. Kylian Mbappé, the team captain, leads the Golden Boot race with eight goals.
The semi-final match between Spain and France is scheduled to take place in Dallas on Tuesday at 20:00 BST.
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Source: bbc.com
