France vs. Spain: 'We don't have to fear anyone' — Ibrahima Konate and Les Bleus hit back at Lamine Yamal's taunts

The 2026 World Cup semi-final betwixt France and Spain connected Tuesday has already generated needle earlier a shot has been kicked successful Dallas, with France's players moving swiftly to antagonistic a pointed provocation from Lamine Yamal.

Following Spain's quarter-final triumph implicit Belgium, Yamal had been characteristically nonstop astir the intelligence scenery up of the clash. 'We bushed France successful our past 2 encounters. If France has to fearfulness anyone, it is us. We volition spot what happens, but we are not afraid.'

The comments drew a steadfast and contiguous effect from the French camp.

'We don't person to autumn into traps astatine this stage'

Ibrahima Konate — who precocious completed a escaped transportation to Real Madrid from Liverpool — was archetypal to respond, insisting the French squad has not been paying adjacent attraction to what their opponents are saying.

'To beryllium honest, we person not heard what is being said. We bash not person to fearfulness anyone. We person to stay humble and not autumn into traps, particularly astatine this signifier of the competition,' helium said. 'He tin accidental immoderate helium wants. We volition effort to hole successful the champion imaginable way, and astatine the extremity of the game, we volition spot who comes retired connected top.'

Maxence Lacroix of Crystal Palace offered a likewise measured assessment. 'I americium not going to accidental we are afraid. We are alert of our qualities and we cognize that Spain besides has a precise bully squad and is having a large tournament. We play each crippled to triumph and our nonsubjective is, of course, to win. We are going to absorption connected that.'

France's nonsubjective is nary little than a 3rd consecutive World Cup final, a milestone that Didier Deschamps' broadside would execute with a affirmative effect connected Tuesday.

Recent past gives Spain a intelligence edge

France and Spain arrived astatine this semi-final arsenic 2 of the pre-tournament favourites, and some person backed that presumption up with convincing campaigns. Yet determination is simply a strand of caller past that sits uncomfortably for Les Bleus.

During a play erstwhile France were steamrolling astir planetary opponents, Spain recovered a accordant mode to halt them.

In the Nations League, La Roja won 5-4 successful 1 of Luis de la Fuente's astir ascendant performances since taking charge.

At Euro 2024, France opened the scoring, lone to beryllium pegged backmost and past overtaken, goals from Yamal and Dani Olmo completed a 2-1 victory, with Randal Kolo Muani's extremity the lone French response. Spain went connected to triumph the tourney by beating England successful the final.

Whether that past carries value successful Dallas remains to beryllium seen. Konate appears determined to marque definite it does not.

The semi-final kicks disconnected astatine 20:00 BST connected Tuesday. The victor meets either England oregon Argentina successful the last astatine MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, connected Sunday 19 July.