Spanish winger Lamine Yamal says his team has no reason to be afraid of France.
Spain defeated Belgium 2-1 Friday to advance to the World Cup semifinals. They will take on their neighbors to the North on Tuesday. Spain has defeated France twice in international competition in the past three years, and Yamal said after the match that the team is looking forward to the opportunity.
“We’re very happy to have made it to the semifinal,” Yamal said. “Today’s match was really important.”
Spain scored first in the 30th minute of play. Forward Dani Olmo took a shot that Belgium goalie Thibaut Courtois laid out to block. Midfielder Fabian Ruiz saw the deflection and slid the ball through the legs of defender Timothy Castagne into the net. Belgium tied the game in the 41st minute when midfielder Kevin De Bruyne kicked the ball into the penalty box, and forward Charles De Ketelaere deflected it off his head into the goal.
In the 88th minute, defender Pau Cubarsi took a shot on goal from deep that Senne Lammens saved. But Mikel Merino swooped in on the ball and kicked it into the back corner of the net for the go-ahead score.
Despite being eighth on the team in minutes played, Yamal has only scored one goal in the entire tournament. But he said Friday that he is not bothered by a lack of individual accomplishments.
“I won the [UEFA European Championship] by scoring a goal,” he said. “I mean, as long as we win the World Cup, I don’t think anyone in this room is going to say, ‘you didn’t score’—we won, and that’s that. So, as long as we keep advancing, I’ll be very happy; that’s the main thing—the team moving on to the next round.”
Yamal pointed out that that lone goal was against France in the semi-finals of the European tournament. He was hoping history would repeat itself.
“I’m really excited,” Yamal said. “I think everyone has been waiting for this match since the World Cup started. We were really looking forward to it arriving. For me, we are the two best teams in the World Cup, but we have no fear. I think if any team can face France with confidence, it’s us.”
He was later asked what to expect from them once the two teams hit the pitch.
“I expect a team that comes at us, but not for the entire match,” he said. “I don’t think any national team is going to play us man-to-man all over the pitch, but… We know France has high-quality players—both up front and at the back—and they are very physical. A very physical team. But we’ll play our own way and try to keep possession.”
“I don’t think there’s any team where you’d say ‘it’s impossible to beat them,’” he said in a June 30 interview with Spanish radio station El Partidazo de COPE.
The radio station’s host countered that France could be better than them, but Yamal said France had not beaten Spain in a long time. The host argued that France put up an impressive showing in the group stage, scoring 10 goals while conceding only two.
“The group stage means nothing,” Yamal fired back, pointing to Germany as a counterexample. Germany scored 11 goals, including a 7–1 trouncing of Curaçao, but lost to upstart Paraguay on penalties in the Round of 32.
A reporter brought that quote back to him in his July 2 presser, and he reiterated his point.
“I think the important moment is now,” he said. “If you lose, you go home, and nobody wants that; no Spaniard wants that. We’ll give it all. Now [we] rest and get ready for the next game.”
He emphasized that Spain is not afraid of anyone they may face in the rest of the tournament.
“I think we have to keep growing in our game, in intensity, in everything,” he said. “But obviously, we know the quality we have. We know we’re not afraid of any team. We are Spain, and we have to show it on the field. But we trust ourselves.”