Lamine Yamal ahead of the semi-final against France: "We are not afraid of them"

Young Spanish star Lamine Yamal shared his thoughts ahead of the World Cup semi-final clash against France. The Barcelona forward emphasized that "La Roja" has no fear of their opponent and the team is focused solely on victory. This match marks Spain's first semi-final appearance in this tournament in 16 years, reports Goal.com. reports .

The Spaniards secured their spot in the final four after defeating Belgium 2-1 in the quarter-finals. While goals from Mikel Merino and Fabian Ruiz brought the team success, Lamine Yamal was named man of the match. According to Cope, the young talent immediately shifted his focus to the upcoming encounter against Didier Deschamps' France.

Historical advantage and psychological preparation

Although France is considered one of the tournament favorites, Lamine Yamal spoke with confidence, citing results from recent head-to-head meetings. According to him, Spain has managed to defeat "Les Bleus" in their last two encounters, providing an extra edge in the semi-final.

"We came here to reach this stage, to play in matches of this magnitude, and to win. Now it is time to rest and think about the match against France. We won the last two times we played them, so we have no fear," the 18-year-old stated.

Yamal also weighed in on the prospect of France reaching their third consecutive World Cup final versus Spain potentially defeating them for the third time in a row. Rating his team's chances highly, he expressed his readiness to give his all on the pitch.

Team success over goal tally

There has been criticism regarding Yamal's goal-scoring output during the tournament. However, the forward insists that team results matter more than personal statistics. In his view, the number of goals is secondary to overall contribution and team success.

"If we win the World Cup, I don't think anyone will remember how many goals I scored or if I scored at all. If we win, we will all be happy, and that is what matters most to me," says Lamine Yamal. Recalling his successful performance at Euro 2024, the player proved that goals are not always the sole metric for measuring a player's impact.

The semi-final between Spain and France is expected to be not just a clash between two giants, but a unique duel between young talents and experienced stars. The Spanish press is billing this game as the tournament's "early final."