Spain take on France in the FIFA World Cup semi-final tonight, and Spain captain Rodri has advised Lamine Yamal to keep a cool head ahead of the clash between the two European giants.
Despite arriving at the World Cup as European champions, Spain began with a draw before defeating Portugal and Belgium to reach the semi-finals. Yamal has just one goal and no assists in six matches so far. Still, the young star is giving the right response to critics at the press conference.
Rodri, however, is not concerned about Yamal’s modest goal tally. The Ballon d’Or-winning midfielder believes the 19-year-old is playing a vital role for Spain that goes beyond goals and assists.
“I think he needs to calm down a little,” Rodri said of Yamal. “He needs to ease off his urge to prove himself sometimes. He’s very important for us, both with and without the ball. He’s a very intelligent player. But he’s only 19, so we have to help keep him calm at times.”
Yamal scored a brilliant goal against France in the semi-finals of Euro 2024. Now, this young winger is Spain’s biggest hope in the World Cup semi-final against that same French side.
Rodri said, “I think he proved his maturity at the Euros. He’s two years older now, so what he’s doing at this age isn’t surprising — he’s a very mature young man. That said, at his age there’s naturally still room to grow in terms of game understanding. But we all know just how special a player he is. Even when he doesn’t win a foul, he should keep playing without stopping the flow of the game — that’s what I always tell him. He listens, he wants to keep learning, and overall he’s set a great example for everyone with his attitude.”
Spain secured their place in the final four by beating Belgium 2-1 in the quarter-finals on Friday. Yamal was named man of the match despite not registering a goal or assist. Speaking to critics after the match, Yamal said, “If we win the World Cup, no one will remember how many goals I scored or didn’t score. Everyone will be happy if we win the title — that’s what I want.”
The Barcelona star added, “I know that my movement and positioning sometimes pull opposition players out of position, which creates space for my teammates. If I can help the team without even touching the ball, that’s also a positive contribution. I think everyone is a little too obsessed with goals.”
The semi-final between France and Spain kicks off at 1:00 am Bangladesh time today. The winner will face either England or Argentina in the final.
