Lamine Yamal has stated that Spain have nothing to fear as they head into their FIFA World Cup semi-final encounter with France, reminding the French side of La Roja’s recent dominance in their past meetings. The young winger also dismissed criticism over his goal tally, emphasising that collective achievement outweighs individual statistics.

Spain turn their attention to France after Belgium victory

Spain secured their spot in the World Cup semi-finals for the first time in 16 years with a 2-1 triumph over Belgium in the quarter-finals. Goals from Mikel Merino and Fabian Ruiz sealed the win, while Yamal was named Player of the Match for his impressive display.

The Barcelona prodigy immediately shifted focus to the upcoming clash against Didier Deschamps’ France. Despite Les Bleus being one of the tournament favourites, Yamal said Spain have every reason to be optimistic, having won the last two encounters between the sides.

Yamal says Spain have no fear

Following the victory over Belgium, Yamal spoke confidently about Spain’s ambitions and underlined their readiness to face the toughest opponents. He also referenced Spain’s recent record against France as a source of belief.

“We came to the semifinals for this, to play these matches and win them,” he told Cope. “Now, it’s time to rest and think about the match against France. The last two times we played France, we beat them. We’re not afraid.”

Yamal continued: “There are two possibilities: either they reach three consecutive World Cup finals, or we beat them three times. I don’t know which way it will go, but we’re not afraid.”

Team success more important than personal records

The 18-year-old dismissed the criticism over his goal-scoring record in the tournament, stressing that his influence extends beyond goals. He also pointed to Spain’s successful Euro 2024 campaign as proof that his overall contribution matters more than the number of times he finds the net.

“If we win the World Cup, I think nobody will remember how many goals I scored or didn’t score,” Yamal said. “If we win, we’ll all be happy—that’s all I want.”

“I know that my movement draws defenders away and creates space for my teammates. Anything I do to help, even if I don’t touch the ball in a play, is positive. I think everyone is fixated on scoring goals, but we won the European Championship with me scoring just once.”

Semi-final challenge ahead

Spain now prepare to face France in the World Cup semi-final, with a berth in the final at stake. Yamal and his teammates will look to extend their winning record against Les Bleus and convert their confidence into another memorable performance as they chase a place in the ultimate showdown.