Spain right-winger Lamine Yamal has given a timely warning to France ahead of the two teams' showdown in the semi-finals of FIFA World Cup 2026 next week.
Spain defeated Belgium 2-1 in the quarter-finals in Los Angeles on Friday to set-up a blockbuster semi-final clash against France in Dallas on Tuesday.
As far as recent faceoffs between these two teams go, the two teams have locked horns in the semi-finals of the 2024 European Championships, as well as in the last-four stage of the 2025 UEFA Nations League.
Spain were the winners on both of those occasions. "If France should fear anyone, it's us," Lamine Yamal told reporters after Spain's win over Belgium.
"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," the Barcelona star added.
‘The team is what matters’: Lamine Yamal
It was during Euro 2024 when Lamine Yamal introduced himself to the sporting world. He scored a goal in the semi-finals against France back then, and this time around, he isn't thinking about how many goals he scores against the Les Bleus.
"It doesn't frustrate me. I won the Euros scoring just one goal. As long as we keep advancing, I'll be very happy. The team is what matters," he said. While Spain are just two wins away from lifting the FIFA World Cup trophy, their route to the semi-final has not been a smooth sailing from an attacking perspective.
The La Roja began with a 0-0 draw against debutants Cabo Verde, before thumping Saudi Arabia 4-0.
They then beat Uruguay 1-0 in their last group stage game, before beating Austria 3-0 and Portugal 1-0 in the round of 32 and round of 16 respectively. "It may seem as if we're not playing great, but every team we play sits back against us," the 18-year-old said.
"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. We are really happy to be in the semifinal. We've been here for a long time now and we want to stay until the final," he added.
The last time Spain qualified for the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup was in 2010, when they went onto lift their maiden title. Spain defeated Netherlands 1-0 in the final in Johannesburg back then.
