Yamal’s birthday present from Spain? World Cup final win against France | World Cup 2026

Lamine Yamal insists he will not be intimidated by Spain’s World Cup clash with France when the sides meet after celebrating 19 years.

The Barcelona prodigy raised eyebrows following Spain lost 2-1 in the quarterfinals to Belgium last week after it was suggested that France and not Spain should be “scared” of the recent defeat by La Roja.

A relaxed-looking Yamal said this while addressing reporters on Monday at a press conference.

“I was asked if I was afraid of France, and I said no,” Yamal said. “We are European champions. It’s just football,” said the youngster.

Yamal said he celebrated his 19th birthday by buying a gold necklace which he wore during his press conference. The real birthday present, however, will be Sunday’s World Cup finals.

He said: “I haven’t received many gifts yet.”

While other players in this World Cup have been scoring goals, Yamal so far he only found the net once in the competition – but he is ready to add to his competition against France.

“I don’t watch the goals, but it’s always special to score in a game like this. I accept the challenges. That’s why I came here,” Yamal said, promising “a good game for the spectators”.

“It’s the game everyone’s been waiting for,” he added.

While acknowledging the importance of Tuesday’s game, Yamal remained steadfast in his approach.

“There are more difficult things in life than football, so I stay calm,” he said. “I don’t feel any pressure; I’m going to play as always and dedicate myself to the team.”

‘We’ve known each other for a long time’

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said his team wants to go further” against the favorites of France when they meet the heavyweights. semifinal showdown.

De la Fuente’s Spain will try to force their game against France in what looks to be an interesting clash.

While France coach Didier Deschamps insists Spain remain favorites for the World Cup, betting markets have heavily backed France to claim a second treble.

Les Bleus have progressed into the last four with an impressive array of attacking talent featuring talent such as. Kylian MbappeMichael Olise and Ousmane Dembele.

But De la Fuente, whose team defeated France in their last two meetings, is quietly planning another attack at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Tuesday.

“We have already studied France in detail; we have known each other for some time,” said De la Fuente.

“We faced each other for a few years now, and they have great players, but so do we. We have to put our best on the table and try to match the strength of the opponent.

“And that’s what football is about – the team that does the best often comes close to winning.”

“We have to think about their players, we will try to win the duels and try to be ahead of the game, and put our style.”

France ‘very good’

De la Fuente, however, is in no doubt about the challenges of the task ahead.

France, he said, has done much better since then Spain beat them 5-4 in a busy UEFA Nations League semifinal in Stuttgart last year, where the Spanish led 5-1 before the meeting in France. This encounter will not compare to Tuesday’s game, said De la Fuente.

“We are talking about two very different matches,” he admitted.

“Tomorrow is another semifinal, I will try to repeat what was good, but there were also some things that were not good.

“We won 5-1, and in a few minutes they made it 5-4. So we are trying to repeat what we did well and what we didn’t do well.

“We have to try to force our game. We have very opposing styles, so we will try to stay ahead and do something.”

De la Fuente also believes that a mature French team will be a strong proposition.

“I think it’s a good team, very good, because the players have grown, and what they’re doing now is better than what they did then,” he said.

“So they’ve improved their skills in the last two years, and that’s true.”

While maintaining tempo is important, De la Fuente will also tell his players to have fun. When asked what his final message to his team would be, he replied: “Let’s go out there and have fun.”

“We are in a unique position. Who knows if we will come back? We have to be the team we know we can be. We have to be strong and try to overcome the strength of the enemy.”