French national team stars Ibrahim Konaté and Maxence Lacroix refused to be drawn into the provocative statements made by Lamine Yamal, Barcelona and Spain winger, ahead of the anticipated clash between the two teams tomorrow, Tuesday, in the 2026 World Cup semi-final.

Yamal had sparked widespread controversy with fiery statements in which he said: 'We beat France in the last two matches, and if anyone fears the other, it is they who fear us; we are not afraid,' which angered French fans and players alike.

In a calm but decisive response, Konaté said: 'We don't care what is said, we must not fear anyone, but remain humble and not fall into this trap, especially at this decisive stage. He can say whatever he wants, and we will prepare in the best way; the pitch will decide the winner.'

For his part, Lacroix stressed the confidence of Les Bleus in their abilities, saying: 'We are not afraid; we know our capabilities, and we know that Spain is a strong team that plays great matches, but we play to win, and we will do our utmost to stop Yamal, who has proven his danger. Our team has the quality to get the job done.'

It seems the French team learned from the lesson of Euro 2024, when Adrien Rabiot criticized Yamal before the match, only for the latter to shine in the semi-final and respond sarcastically during the celebration: 'Go on, talk now.'

Despite the brilliance of Yamal's name, his performance in the current World Cup has not lived up to his usual level, as he has only scored one goal so far, which gives the French additional hope of curbing the Catalan star and securing qualification for the final.