Spain Says "France Should Fear Us!" — A Simple Story About a Big Soccer Match

What’s the Big News?

A giant soccer game is coming up! It’s the World Cup semifinal (that’s the game right before the final where the winner gets to play for the whole tournament). Here’s what you need to know:

• The two teams are Spain and France.
• They will play on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas (a city in the United States).
• A young Spanish player named Lamine Yamal says France should be a little scared of Spain.

How Did They Get Here?

Let’s look at the games that decided who goes to the semifinal:

• On Friday, Spain played against Belgium and won 2-1.
  • Mikel Merino (who plays for a club called Arsenal) scored a goal in the 88th minute (that’s super late, near the end) to win the game.
• On Thursday, France played against Morocco and won 2-0.

Important: This is only Spain’s second ever World Cup semifinal. The first time was in 2010, when they won the whole tournament! France wants to reach the final for the third time in a row — they won in 2018 and were runners-up (second place) to Argentina in 2022 (in Qatar).

Spain and France Have Met Before

These two countries have played each other a lot lately:

• This will be their third meeting in the last three years.
• Spain won the previous two big games:
  1. The semifinal of the European Championships (a big Europe soccer tournament) in 2024.
  2. The UEFA Nations League (another Europe tournament) in 2025.

So Spain has already knocked France out twice!

What Are the Grown-ups Saying?

Lamine Yamal’s Words

After beating Belgium, Yamal talked to reporters. In simple terms, he said:

• "If France should fear anyone, it’s us."
• "We have beaten them two times before."
• "I think we are the two best teams in the World Cup, but we are not scared of them at all."

Coach Luis de la Fuente’s Words

Spain’s coach told everyone:

• "We are very focused on the next game because it’s huge."
• "We know France is strong, but we also know we can beat them."
• "It will be a tough, energetic game and we must play our very best."

Other Important Side Stories

The original report also mentioned two extra bits of news:

• A Belgian player named Courtois got hurt and left the field in tears just before Spain scored the winning goal.
• Some people say Spain’s attackers (the players whose job is to score) wasted some chances and need to do better next time.

Spain’s Bumpy Road to the Semifinal (Step by Step)

Even though many thought Spain would play perfectly, they had some tricky moments. Here’s how they got to the semifinal:

1. First match: A 0-0 draw with Cape Verde (nobody scored).
2. Then they won against Saudi Arabia.
3. Then they won against Uruguay.
4. They easily beat Austria.
5. They needed a late goal from Merino to barely beat Portugal.
6. They needed another late goal from Merino to beat Belgium.

Important: Yamal says other teams play very defensively (they stay back to protect their goal) against Spain, which makes it harder for Spain to look super flashy. But he says, "Winning is the most important thing," and they are happy to be in the semifinal and want to stay until the final.

Fun Facts About Lamine Yamal

• He plays for Barcelona (a famous soccer club) on the side of the field (called a winger).
• He is 18 right now but turns 19 on Monday (the day before the big match).
• He had a hurt leg muscle (called a hamstring injury) but got better to play in the tournament.
• He has scored 1 goal in 6 games so far in the World Cup.

(There is also a photo of Yamal celebrating after the Belgium win, looking very happy!)

Summary

To wrap it all up: Spain and France are getting ready for a massive World Cup semifinal on Tuesday in Texas. Spain beat Belgium 2-1 with a last-minute goal from Merino, while France beat Morocco 2-0. Spain has beaten France twice recently, so Yamal says France should fear them. The Spanish coach agrees they can win but says it will be hard. Spain hasn’t played perfect soccer, but they keep finding ways to win. Yamal is a teenage star who is confident and excited. Everyone is waiting to see what happens!

FAQ

Q1: What is a World Cup semifinal?
A: It’s one of the last two games of the tournament. The winner goes to the final to try to become the champion, and the loser goes home.

Q2: Who is Lamine Yamal?
A: He is a young Spanish soccer player who plays on the side of the field for Barcelona and the Spain team. He is almost 19 and says his team should be feared.

Q3: Why does Spain think they can beat France?
A: Because they already beat France in two big tournaments recently (2024 and 2025), and they have confident players and a coach who believes in them.

Q4: When and where is the match?
A: It is on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas, USA.

Q5: How did Spain win against Belgium?
A: The score was tied 1-1, but Mikel Merino scored a goal in the 88th minute (very late in the game) to make it 2-1.