Spain winger Lamine Yamal has described the World Cup semifinal against France as “the most important match” in his career.
A Euro 2024 champion, Yamal, who turned 19 on Monday, is looking forward to Tuesday’s big game in Arlington, Texas.
“Without a doubt, this is the most important match I’m going to play,” the Barcelona star said. “We’re all very excited, especially me. I’m certain it’s going to be a special day.
“I would like to gift myself [for my birthday] a win [over France] and be able to go to New York [to play the World Cup final].”
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France are considered favorites to lift the title having shown few signs of weakness en route to their third straight World Cup semifinal.
Les Bleus have won all six games, scoring 16 goals and conceding only two.
“Obviously, I’m not afraid of France,” Yamal said. “We’re the European champions, and we don’t fear any team.
“We have a lot of talent. I don’t think their attacking prowess has to be a bad thing for us. It might even be a good thing. It will surely be a very levelled game.”
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Yamal played all 90 minutes in the wins against Portugal and Belgium having recently regained his match fitness after injury. He has one goal in six appearances in the tournament.
“You [reporters] say I’m not at my best, so you shouldn’t expect anything from me,” he said “But I’m confident things will go well. I’m not worried about the goals, but it’s always special to score in games like this. I accept the challenge — that’s why I’m here.”
Asked if he felt the pressure to deliver, Yamal said: “I don’t feel pressure. I play the way I know how; I just give everything I have for the team, to the best of my ability. When you give it your all, you don’t feel any pressure.”
Yamal, meanwhile, was asked about the incendiary comments made by former Spain Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who wrote in a newspaper column ahead of Tuesday’s game that France “don’t have any French players.”
Rajoy’s comments were considered “xenophobic” by Spain’s current Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
Born to a Moroccan father and an Equatorial Guinean mother, Yamal said: “I think we’re going to play a very important game, and there’s no room for that. But if football serves any purpose, it’s to bring people together in society, integration, and if there are two teams that set an example, they are France and Spain.”
