Two days before the World Cup semi-final between France and Spain, scheduled for Tuesday in Dallas, the French internationals calmly responded to Lamine Yamal's comments. After La Roja's qualification against Belgium, the young Spanish prodigy had sparked controversy by stating: “We beat France in our last two matches. If France has anyone to fear, it’s us (…) We’ll see what happens, but we’re not afraid.” A noteworthy outing that was quickly brought up during the French national team's press conference, organized on Sunday at Bentley University, where Ibrahim Konaté and Maxence Lacroix appeared before the media.
Ibrahim Konaté: "We shouldn't be afraid of anyone"
When asked about the comments made by the FC Barcelona player, Ibrahim Konaté initially smiled before responding calmly. The Liverpool defender explained that the French national team doesn't pay attention to that type of statement. : “No, no, no… To be honest, we don’t listen to what’s being said. We mustn’t be afraid of anyone, we must remain humble and not fall into that trap, especially at this stage of the competition. Now, he can say what he wants, we’re going to try to prepare as best we can. And at the end of the match, we’ll see who benefits.”Konaté did, however, acknowledge the strength of their opponent. According to him, Spain is among the best teams in this World Cup, but this does not change the French approach, which is focused on preparation and performance on the pitch.
Maxence Lacroix also refuses to escalate the bidding.
Present alongside Konaté, Maxence Lacroix adopted the same tone. The French defender refused to fuel a war of words while still expressing the ambitions of Les Bleus. : "I'm not going to say we're afraid. We're aware of our strengths. We know that Spain also has a very good squad and is having a great run here. We play every match to win and our objective is to win, of course. We're going to focus on that." The former Wolfsburg player also felt that the Spanish national team should not be reduced to Lamine Yamal, whom he described as a team "exceptional", reminding everyone that La Roja possesses numerous offensive and collective weapons.
A semi-final under high tension
This match will pit two of the tournament's most impressive teams against each other. Spain arrives with a generation led by Lamine Yamal, while France continues its run with a solid defense and a team that is gaining momentum as the competition progresses. Pre-match statements naturally fuel the anticipation surrounding this encounter, but the French message remains consistent: no controversy, no overreactions, just the desire to prepare for this semi-final in the best possible conditions before attempting to secure a place in the 2026 World Cup final.
