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Through six matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, France have looked unbeatable, with a perfect record of W6, D0 and D0 and a tournament record 16 goals. Their next opponent will be Spain in Tuesday’s semifinal at Dallas Stadium, and Lamine Yamal isn’t worried at all.
“They haven’t beaten us since the Euros,” Yamal said. “They can’t be better than us.”
Asked about the form France have shown so far in the tournament compared to Spain, Yamal insisted the early results are not indicative of how the round of 16 went, pointing the finger at another European power who returned home early.
“It doesn’t matter, the group stage doesn’t mean anything, look at Germany,” Yamal said.
The upcoming match attracted the attention of fans and pundits, and the Spanish winger noted that the team had been anticipating this specific challenge since the start of the tournament.
“We couldn’t wait for it to arrive,” Yamal said. “For me, we are the two best teams in the World Cup, but we are not afraid at all. I think if there is a team that can face France with confidence, it is us.”
Regarding on-field tactics, Yamal expects France to put pressure on Spain, but doubts they can maintain that intensity across the entire field for 90 minutes or more.
“I expect a team that will come after us, but not for the whole game,” Yamal said. “I don’t think any team can play us one-on-one all over the pitch. But we all know that France have high quality players, both up top and in defense, and they are very physical.
“We will play the way we know how and we will try to keep possession of the ball.”
