France defender Ibrahima Konate has brushed aside Lamine Yamal’s confident pre-match comments as Les Bleus prepare to face Spain in Tuesday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final.
The Barcelona youngster, speaking after Spain’s victory over Belgium, insisted France should be the side feeling the pressure.
“If anyone should be afraid, it’s them, we’ve eliminated them. We are two great teams, for me the two best, but we have absolutely no fear. Since the World Cup started, everyone has been waiting for this game, and I really wanted it to get here. We are the two best national teams in the World Cup. With absolutely no fear, if anyone can go into a match against France with confidence, it’s us.”
Yamal’s confidence follows Spain’s recent victories over France in the Euro 2024 semi-final and the 2025 UEFA Nations League final.
However, Konate insisted the French squad remain focused on the task ahead rather than the pre-match rhetoric.
Speaking during a press conference on Sunday, the Liverpool defender said:
“No, no, no… In all honesty, we don’t listen to what’s being said. You shouldn’t be afraid of anyone; we need to remain humble and not fall into that trap, especially at this stage of the competition.”
The defender added that France would allow their performance to do the talking.
“Now, he can say whatever he wants, we are going to try to prepare the best we can. And at the end of the match, we’ll see who it favors.”
Spain have won three of their last four meetings with France, while Yamal has also defeated French captain Kylian Mbappe in each of their previous five knockout encounters, adding another compelling storyline to one of the tournament’s biggest matches.
