Yamal: The Roosters Should Fear Facing Us
Spanish star Lamine Yamal believes France should fear his national team, as the two European giants are set to face each other in a decisive World Cup semi-final next Tuesday.
Speaking to journalists after Spain’s 2-1 victory over Belgium on Friday, which secured their place in the World Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2010, the young star said: “I think if France has to fear anyone, it should be Spain, in my opinion. We were the ones who eliminated France before.”
Spain had previously beaten France in the semi-finals of the last European Championship (Euro 2024) and again in the UEFA Nations League last year, with Yamal becoming the youngest scorer in the continental tournament. The two giants will meet again this week at the Dallas Cowboys stadium to compete for a spot in the final.
Yamal, who was named man of the match against Belgium, said: “We don’t fear anyone. Clearly, we are two great teams, world-class national sides, and for me, Spain is among the best. We will see what happens.”
Spain reached the World Cup quarter-finals thanks to a late 88th-minute winner from substitute Mikel Merino against Belgium in the round of 16 at the Sochi stadium.
While Spain conceded their first goal of the current World Cup against Belgium, France has scored 16 goals in their six matches so far, demonstrating their attacking prowess.
France reached the World Cup final in the last two editions, winning the title in 2018, while Spain has reached the same stage only once in their history. However, the current Spanish side has not lost in 36 consecutive official matches since March 2023, a run that also included a penalty shootout loss to Portugal in last year’s UEFA Nations League final.
Yamal, who will turn 19 on Monday, has scored only one goal in his World Cup debut, but his playmaking skills and activity on the right side of Spain’s attack have been noticeable in almost every match.
Although Spain needed Merino’s late goal to secure back-to-back wins, Yamal believes his team is ready to face their French opponents, who are considered the favorites to lift the trophy in this edition.
Concluding his comments, Yamal emphasized: “I think we were much better than Belgium. It looks like we play beautiful football, but in reality, no team competes with us on equal terms. All teams drop back, which makes things more difficult. No one has been able to keep up with us. But in the end, we got the win.”
