Spain forward Lamine Yamal, celebrating his 19th birthday, addresses reporters ahead of Tuesday’s World Cup semi-final against France. After Spain’s 2-1 quarter-final win over Belgium, Yamal previously drew attention with remarks suggesting France should be “afraid” rather than Spain. Speaking on Monday, Yamal clarifies that he was asked whether he was afraid of France and says the answer is no, arguing that Spain are “European champions” and that it is “simply football.”
Yamal also describes how he marked his birthday, saying he bought a jewel-encrusted necklace to wear at the press conference. He frames the main birthday gift as a win that would take Spain to the World Cup final in New York. On his performance, he notes he has scored once in the tournament so far but says he does not focus on goals, adding that scoring in a semi-final would be special. He characterizes his mindset as calm, saying there are other, more difficult situations in life than a football match, and that he does not feel extra pressure.
