France and Spain will face off in the first semi-final of the FIFA World Cup tonight. Spain’s young forward Lamine Yamal appeared at the pre-match press conference, where, alongside expressing the team’s strong confidence against France, he also delivered a firm response to former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s controversial remarks.
Monday was Yamal’s 19th birthday. With a diamond necklace around his neck, his family at the center of media attention, and the biggest match of his career ahead of him, Yamal found himself in the headlines for multiple reasons.
Responding to Mariano Rajoy’s controversial comment that “there are no real French players in the France team,” Yamal said that football should never be a means of division, but rather a means of uniting people.
“There will be a great match tomorrow (Tuesday),” Yamal told reporters in Dallas. “But if football serves any purpose, it is to unite people. Spain and France are both examples of a united society. The job of football is to bring people together, not to debate other people’s opinions.”
The young Barcelona star, who has steered clear of controversy and kept his focus on the pitch, struck a familiar tone: “I was asked if I was afraid of France. Naturally, the answer is no. We are the champions of Europe — we are not afraid of any match.”
Describing this match as the most important of his career, Yamal insisted that pressure would not get the better of him. “There are far more difficult situations in life than a football match, so I am completely calm. I don’t feel any extra pressure. As always, I will go out on the field and give my best for the team,” he said.
Finally, without any hesitation, Yamal reaffirmed his dream of winning the World Cup, saying, “Of course, I see myself as a world champion. The path to winning every title is difficult, but if we can all believe in ourselves as world champions, why can’t it become a reality?”
The match between Spain and France will kick off at 1:00 am Bangladesh time today.
