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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 La Roja have no reason to fear Didier Deschamps’ side after booking their place in the semifinals.Fresh from Spain’s dramatic 2-1 quarterfinal victory over Belgium at Los Angeles Stadium, the Barcelona winger said France should instead be concerned about facing a Spanish team that has repeatedly got the better of 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 against Belgium after Fabián Ruiz’s opener had been cancelled out by Charles De Ketelaere.Speaking after the victory, Yamal dismissed suggestions that Spain should approach the semifinal with caution.“If France should fear anyone, it’s us,” Yamal told reporters.“We have knocked them out [before]. We have beat them two times [from Euro 2024 and the 2024-25 Nations League]. 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 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 before those encounters.
Spain preparing for another meeting with familiar rivals
The semifinal will mark the third competitive meeting between Spain and France in the last three years, adding another chapter to what has quickly become one of international football’s defining rivalries.Spain have reached only their second World Cup semifinal, the first since lifting the trophy in South Africa in 2010. Their victory over Belgium also extended the longest unbeaten run in the national team’s history to 36 matches since a 1-0 defeat to Colombia in March 2024, with a record of 27 wins and nine draws during that span.Although Spain have progressed through the tournament unbeaten, their path has not always been straightforward.They opened the competition with a goalless draw against Cape Verde before recording victories over Saudi Arabia and Uruguay to top their group. Spain then comfortably defeated Austria 3-0 in the Round of 32 before edging past Portugal and Belgium through late Merino winners in successive knockout matches.Belgium’s equaliser in the quarterfinal ended Spain’s run without conceding in the knockout rounds, but the late 2-1 victory preserved their unbeaten campaign.Yamal acknowledged that Spain have not always appeared dominant, attributing that largely to the cautious approach adopted by opponents.“It may seem as if we’re not playing great, but every team we play sits back against us.”“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.”The Barcelona winger, who turns 19 on Monday, has contributed one goal across his six World Cup appearances while continuing to play a central creative role in Luis de la Fuente’s attack.
De la Fuente shares his players’ confidence
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente struck a similarly confident tone after eliminating Belgium, while stressing the challenge France will present.“The expectations are very, very high for the next game,” De la Fuente said.“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.”“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.”The Spain manager also suggested the feeling of respect runs both ways.“It’s fair to think we’ll work to beat them; I think they’re just as worried.”“We’re the only team that has beaten them two games in a row. A great team is going to face another great team.”France arrive in Arlington with an equally formidable record. Didier Deschamps’ side have won all six of their matches at the tournament, defeating Sweden, Paraguay and Morocco in the knockout rounds after sweeping through Group I with maximum points. Captain Kylian Mbappé leads the Golden Boot race with eight goals and has been the driving force behind France’s bid for a third consecutive World Cup final.With both nations still unbeaten in North America and carrying recent victories over one another into the contest, Tuesday’s semifinal promises to be one of the defining matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
