France vs Spain: Yamal, Luis de la Fuente warns Les Bleus

14.07.26 FT World Cup

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Lamine Yamal wasn't at 100% at the start of this 2026 World Cup with Spain.

The reason was a hamstring injury dating back to April. But since then, the young FC Barcelona star has been growing stronger. The best is yet to come, warns coach Luis de la Fuente ahead of the semifinal between France and Spain.

"Lamine's best match in this World Cup is still to come, I'll leave it at that. He is extremely motivated, you just have to look at his face. He really wants it. We just need to calm his anxiety a bit, because he shouldn't be putting too much pressure on himself. It's a process of gaining experience and maturity—Kylian Mbappé or Erling Haaland went through this a few years ago. He's right in the middle of it and we talk about it a lot with him. He'll be a player who leaves a strong impression by the end of the World Cup," said the Spanish coach.

Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.

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