Spanish teenager Lamine Yamal has issued a confident warning to France ahead of one of the biggest matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, insisting they have no reason to fear Didier Deschamps’ side after reaching the semi-finals.The Barcelona winger, fresh off Spain’s dramatic 2-1 quarter-final win over Belgium at the Los Angeles Arena, said France should be worried about facing a Spanish side who have beaten them repeatedly in recent years. The two European heavyweights will now meet in Arlington, Texas, for a spot in the World Cup finals.
Yamal says France should be team to worry about
Spain sealed their place in the last four with another decisive intervention from substitute Mikel Merino, who scored the late winner against Belgium after Fabian Ruiz’s opener was canceled out by Charles de Cotrare.Speaking after the victory, Yamal dismissed suggestions that Spain should approach the semi-finals with caution.“If France should be afraid of anyone, it’s us,” Yamal told reporters.“We have eliminated them [before]. we beat them twice [from Euro 2024 and the 2024-25 Nations League]. Honestly, I think we’re the two best teams in the World Cup, so we’ll see what happens, but we don’t have any fears. “The 18-year-old’s confidence stems from Spain’s recent performance against Les Bleus. La Roja eliminated France in the semi-finals of Euro 2024 and then beat them again in the 2024-25 Nations League, meaning France have not beaten Spain since those encounters.
Spain prepares for another meeting with familiar rivals
The semi-final will mark the third official meeting between Spain and France in the past three years, adding a new chapter to a competition that has quickly become one of the defining rivalries in international football.Spain are in their second World Cup semi-final, their first since lifting the trophy in South Africa in 2010. The victory over Belgium also extended the longest unbeaten streak in the history of the national team to 36 games since a 0-1 loss to Colombia in March 2024, during which they achieved a record of 27 wins and 9 draws.Although Spain remains undefeated at this World Cup, their path has not always been smooth.They opened the tournament with a 0-0 draw against Cape Verde, then defeated Saudi Arabia and Uruguay to finish top of the group. Spain then easily defeated Austria 3-0 in the round of 32 before defeating Portugal and Belgium in consecutive knockout rounds via the final Merino winner.Belgium equalized in the quarter-finals to end Spain’s run of clean sheets in the knockout rounds, but won 2-1 to preserve their unbeaten run.Yamal admits that Spain has not always been dominant, mainly due to the cautious approach taken by its opponents.“It didn’t look like we were playing well, but every team we played was working against us.”“No one went toe-to-toe with us, but at the end of the day we got the win again today. That’s the most important thing.”“We’re really happy to be in the semi-finals. We’ve been here for a long time and we want to stay until the final.”The Barcelona winger, who turns 19 on Monday, has contributed one goal in six World Cup appearances while continuing to be the central creative force in Luis de la Fuente’s attack.
De la Fuente shares players’ confidence
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente struck a similar tone of confidence after knocking out Belgium, while highlighting the challenge France will face.“The expectations for the next game are very, very high,” De La Fuente said.“We are focused on the next game and are very aware of the potential of our opponents in the next game. But we are also very aware that we can beat France.”“We played them in the semi-finals. We were successful. This game was very demanding. will be full of energy. We need to have the best version of ourselves. “The Spanish coach also said the feeling of respect goes both ways.“We’re going to try to beat them, which is fair; I think they’re equally concerned.”“We’re the only team to beat them two games in a row. A great team is going to face another great team.”France arrived in Arlington with an equally formidable record. Deschamps’ side have won all six of their games at this World Cup, beating Sweden, Paraguay and Morocco in the knockout rounds and sweeping Group One with maximum points. Captain Kylian Mbappe leads the Golden Boot race with eight goals and is the driving force behind France’s third successive World Cup finals.Tuesday’s semifinals are expected to be one of the decisive games of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as both teams remain undefeated in North America and bring their latest wins into the competition.
