‘We have no fear’: Lamine Yamal issues chilling warning to France ahead of World Cup semi-final

Lamine Yamal has warned France ahead of the World Cup semi-finals, insisting Spain are confident after recent victories over Les Bleus / Picture: AP Spanish teenager Lamine Yamal has issued a confident warning to France ahead of one of the biggest matches at the 2026 World Cup, insisting La Roja have no reason to fear Didier Deschamps’ side after they booked their place in the semi-finals.Fresh from Spain’s dramatic 2-1 quarter-final victory over Belgium at the Los Angeles Stadium, the Barcelona winger said France should instead be worried about facing a Spain side that has beaten them repeatedly in recent years. The two European heavyweights will now meet in Arlington, Texas for a place in the World Championship finals.

Yamal says France should be a team to worry about

Spain booked their place in the last four thanks to another crucial strike from substitute Mikel Merino, who scored a late winner against Belgium after Charles De Ketelaere had canceled out Fabián Ruiz’s opener.After the victory, Yamal dismissed suggestions that Spain were taking a cautious approach to the semi-finals.“If France should be afraid of anyone, it’s us,” Jamal told reporters.“We knocked them out (before). We beat them twice (from Euro 2024 and Nations League 2024-25). To be honest, I think we’re the two best teams at the World Cup, so we’ll see what happens, but we’re not worried.”The 18-year-old’s confidence is rooted in Spain’s recent record against Les Bleus. La Roja knocked out France in the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 2024 before beating them again in the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League, meaning France had not beaten Spain since before those encounters.

Spain is preparing for another meeting with familiar opponents

The semi-final will mark the third competitive meeting between Spain and France in three years and will add another chapter to what has quickly become one of the defining rivalries of international football.Spain reached just their second World Cup semi-final, their first since lifting the trophy in South Africa in 2010. Their win 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 27 wins and nine draws during that period.Although Spain progressed through the tournament undefeated, their journey was not always straightforward.They opened the competition with a goalless draw against Cape Verde before recording wins over Saudi Arabia and Uruguay to top their group. Spain then comfortably beat Austria 3-0 in the round of 32 before overcoming Portugal and Belgium in successive knockout matches through a late winner from Merino.Belgium’s quarter-final equalizer ended Spain’s run without conceding in the knockout rounds, but a late 2-1 win preserved their unbeaten campaign.Yamal acknowledged that Spain did not always appear dominant, which he attributed in large part to the cautious approach of their opponents.“It might seem like we’re not playing great, but every team we play is sitting against us.“No one went toe-to-toe with us, but in the end we won 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 his six World Cup appearances as he continues to play a central creative role in Luis de la Fuente’s attack.

De la Fuente shares the confidence of his players

Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente struck a similarly confident tone after Belgium’s elimination, underlining the challenge France will present.“The expectations are very, very high for the next game,” De la Fuente said.“We are focused on this next game and we are very aware of the potential of our opponent in the next game. But we are also quite confident that we are capable of beating France.”“We had a semi-final against them. We were successful. The game will be very demanding. It will be high-energy. We will need the best version of ourselves.”The Spanish manager also suggested that the feeling of respect runs both ways.“It’s fair to think we’ll work to beat them; I think they’re just as concerned.”“We’re the only team to beat them two games in a row. A great team is going to play another great team.”France comes to Arlington with an equally impressive record. Didier Deschamps’ side won all six of their games at the tournament, defeating Sweden, Paraguay and Morocco in the knockout rounds after storming through Group I with maximum points. Captain Kylian Mbappé leads the race for the Golden Boot with eight goals and has been the driving force behind France’s bid for a third successive World Cup finals.With the two nations still unbeaten in North America and bringing recent back-to-back wins to the competition, Tuesday’s semi-final promises to be one of the defining matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.