‘We Are Not Afraid’: Lamine Yamal gives chilling warning to France ahead of World Cup semi-final | Football News
Spain teenager Lamine Yamal has issued a confident warning to France ahead of one of the biggest matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026, insisting that La Roja have nothing to fear from Didier Deschamps’ team after booking their place in the semifinals.Fresh from Spain’s dramatic 2-1 quarterfinal win over Belgium at the Los Angeles Stadium, the Barcelona winger said France should be worried about facing a Spanish team that has repeatedly beaten them in recent years. The two European heavyweights will now meet in Arlington, Texas, with a place in the World Cup final at stake.
Yamal says France should be the team with concerns
Spain secured their place in the last four thanks to another decisive intervention from substitute Mikel Merino, who scored the winning goal late on against Belgium after Fabián Ruiz’s opener was canceled out by Charles De Ketelaere.Speaking after the win, Yamal rejected suggestions that Spain should be cautious in the semifinal.“If France is afraid of anyone, it’s us,” Yamal told reporters.“We knocked them out [before]. We beat them twice [from Euro 2024 and the 2024-25 Nations League]. In fact, I think we are the two best teams in the World Cup, so we will see what happens, but we are not afraid.The 18-year-old’s confidence is rooted in Spain’s recent record against Les Bleus. La Roja eliminated France in the UEFA Euro 2024 semifinals before defeating them again in the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League, meaning France have not beaten Spain since the previous encounters.
Spain is preparing for another meeting with familiar opponents
The semifinal will mark the third competitive meeting between Spain and France in the last three years, adding a chapter to what is quickly becoming one of the most important clashes in international football.Spain reached only their second World Cup semifinal, their first since lifting the trophy in South Africa in 2010. Their win over Belgium also extended the longest unbeaten run in the history of the national team to 36 games since a 1-0 loss to Colombia in March 2024, with a record 27 wins and nine draws in that span.Although Spain progressed through the tournament unbeaten, their path was not always straightforward.They opened the competition with a goalless draw against Cape Verde before recording wins against Saudi Arabia and Uruguay to top their group. Spain comfortably beat Austria 3-0 in the Round of 32 before defeating Portugal and Belgium with late winners in Merino in successive knockout matches.Belgium’s equalizer in the quarterfinal ended Spain’s run without a win in the knockout rounds, but a late 2-1 victory preserved their unbeaten campaign.Yamal acknowledged that Spain did not always dominate, attributing much to the cautious approach adopted by opponents.“It looks like we’re not playing well, but every team we play is sitting against us.”“Nobody was with us, but we finally got the win again today. That’s the most important thing.”“We are really happy to be in the semifinal. We have been here for a long time and we want to stay until the final.”The Barcelona winger, who turned 19 on Monday, has contributed one goal in his six World Cup appearances while continuing to play a central creative role in Luis de la Fuente’s attack.
De la Fuente shared his players’ confidence
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente struck a similarly confident tone after eliminating Belgium, while stressing the challenge France would present.“Expectations are very high for the next game,” said De la Fuente.“We are concentrating on the next game and are very aware of the potential of our opponent in the next game.“We have a semifinal against them. We succeeded. The game will be very difficult. It will be energetic. We need to be the best version of ourselves. “The Spanish manager also suggested that feeling of respect runs both ways.“It’s fair to assume we’ll work to beat them; I think they’re equally concerned.”“We are the only team that has beaten them in two consecutive games.France came to Arlington with an equally terrible record. Didier Deschamps’ team won all six of their matches in the tournament, defeating Sweden, Paraguay and Morocco in the knockout rounds after sweeping Group I with the highest points. Captain Kylian Mbappé leads the race for the Golden Boot with eight goals and is the driving force behind France’s bid for a third consecutive World Cup final.With the two countries still unbeaten in North America and bringing recent victories against each other in the competition, Tuesday’s semifinals promise to be one of the defining matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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