France, known as Les Bleus, has made a significant mark at the 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup, scoring at least three goals in each of their first four matches. In their latest game, Kylian Mbappe scored twice to secure a 3-0 victory over Sweden in the Round of 32 on June 30. This performance has strengthened the belief that France is a formidable team, making them a strong contender for the World Cup title.
However, Spain’s young talent, Lamine Yamal, remains unfazed. ‘They haven’t beaten us since the Euros,’ he mentioned in an interview with Juanma Castaño for El Partidazo de Cope. Yamal emphasized that France can’t claim superiority over Spain.
The World Cup starts now.
With these words, Yamal downplayed France’s success in the group stage, focusing on the importance of the knockout phase. While he admitted France is performing well, he believes there’s no clear favorite. As he expressed confidence, Yamal stated, ‘It happens to me that when a competition comes up, I think I’m going to win it. So, I think I’m going to win the World Cup this year.’
Yamal, playing in his first World Cup for Spain, celebrated his inaugural World Cup goal against Saudi Arabia on June 21. Though he dealt with a lingering hamstring injury, he told Castaño that he feels 80-90% fit and can play the full 90 minutes for his team, La Roja, against Austria on July 2.
Spain will depend heavily on Yamal’s performance as they face Austria, with injury issues affecting the squad. If they succeed, Spain will meet either Croatia or Portugal in the Round of 16 on July 6.