Adrien Rabiot, France midfielder, said on Monday that his team "fears no one", ahead of facing Spain in the World Cup semi-finals in North America, scheduled for Tuesday in Dallas, in response to a statement by rising star Lamine Yamal who affirmed he is not afraid of "Les Bleus".

The two teams are preparing for an anticipated clash in the semi-finals of the tournament, each seeking to win the world title.

Rabiot said in the last training session before facing 'La Roja': 'We fear no one, of course. Looking at our journey, I think we are reaching the semi-final in the best possible conditions, meaning everything is positive. I think it would have been difficult to arrive in better conditions than these.'

Barcelona star Lamine Yamal has stirred up media attention since Friday, when he told Spanish channel TVE: 'If France has to fear someone, it's us. We are the ones who eliminated them last time. We'll see what happens, but we are not afraid.'

Rabiot, one of France's midfield pillars, stressed that 'there will be no special plan to stop Yamal', in order to limit the threat of the 19-year-old Barcelona winger, who previously defeated France in the Euro 2024 semi-final (2-1) and the 2025 Nations League (5-4).

He explained: 'We focus on the Spanish team as a whole. We do not focus on a specific player. We know they are dangerous on all levels, whether him, the attack line, possession of the ball, tight spaces near the penalty area, and combination play. So we must focus on these aspects, not on a single individual.'

The AC Milan player also stressed 'harmony and cohesion' within the French national team.

He added: 'There is the matter of living well together. Off the pitch, things are going excellently, and I think that forms a large part of this success. There are also things that brought us closer, such as the difficulties the coach went through (Didier Deschamps lost his mother at the start of the tournament), knowing that it is also the coach's last tournament at the helm of Les Bleus. There are many factors that make this seem like the right time.'

Rabiot's statements come in the context of the high morale of the French team, which is experiencing a period of harmony after overcoming personal difficulties for coach Deschamps. The team focuses on the collective aspect rather than relying on a specific individual, facing a Spanish team that relies on possession and collective play. The match will be a real test of the strength of both teams and their readiness to reach the final.