Spain's national team stars have sent confident messages to their French counterparts on the eve of the eagerly awaited 2026 World Cup semi-final on Tuesday, insisting that their collective strength and disciplined style of play will be enough to secure a spot in the final.

In separate statements to Spanish media, goalkeeper Unai Simón, midfielder Mikel Merino, and head coach Luis de la Fuente stressed their full confidence in overcoming the French hurdle, even though Les Bleus are considered the favorites to win.

Simón told Cadena COPE: "France is undoubtedly a great football power, but we have immense confidence in our performance. Our mentality is that if everyone gives their best, no team can beat us."

The Spanish goalkeeper added: "The French team has outstanding attacking players like Dembélé and Mbappé, which is a real threat, but our strength lies in the team as a whole. We are a team with a solid plan, and it is very difficult to overcome us."

For his part, Merino revealed to Marca the recipe for beating France, saying: "By playing a good match, sticking to our style, and controlling the decisive moments, there will be individual duels where players shine. Any player on their team can create danger, so we need to stay fully focused."

Merino noted that being the favorites means nothing, stressing the need to be wary of France's exceptional individual abilities.

Coach De la Fuente explained to Cadena SER that his team's strength lies in its stark contrast to the French style, saying: "Before facing Portugal, I said we would play against a team similar to us. Now the situation is completely different; we are opposites. They are comfortable with fast play, so we must control the match."

The Spanish coach acknowledged a weak point in his team, saying: "We expose ourselves a lot, but we have a strong defense and seek balance. We know France's strengths, but we will not abandon our ideas. We defeated them in the last two matches with our style of play."

The decisive match takes place on Tuesday, bringing together two contrasting football philosophies: France relies on individual strength and rapid counterattacks, while Spain bets on possession and organized collective play.