DALLAS, United States, July 14, 2026 (Net) – Lamine Yamal insisted on Monday he would take no fear into Spain’s World Cup semi-final against France as he celebrated his 19th birthday.
The Barcelona prodigy raised eyebrows following Spain’s 2-1 quarter-final defeat of Belgium last week after being quoted as saying that France rather than Spain ought to be “afraid” given recent defeats against La Roja.
A relaxed-looking Yamal addressed those comments as he spoke to reporters on Monday at a press con-ference.
“I was asked if I was afraid of France, and I said no,” Yamal explained. “We are European champions. It’s simply football,” the teenager explained.
Yamal said he had marked his 19th birthday by buying a chunky jewel-encrusted necklace he wore to his press conference. The real birthday present, though, would be a place in Sunday’s World Cup final.
“I haven’t received many gifts yet. The best gift would be a win on Tuesday and a trip to New York,” he said.
While other stars at this World Cup have been in blistering goal-scoring form, Yamal so far has only found the net once during the tournament — but is ready to add to his tally against France.
“I don’t focus on goals, but it’s always special to score in a match like this. I accept the challenge. That’s why I came here,” Yamal said, promising a “beautiful match for the spectators.”
“It’s the game everyone was waiting for,” he added.
While acknowledging the momentous nature of Tuesday’s game, Yamal remained laidback in his ap-proach.
“There are far more difficult situations in life than a football match, so I’m calm,” he said. “I don’t feel any extra pressure; I’ll go out and play like always and give my all for the team.”
