New Real Madrid defender Ibrahima Konate has disclosed that France will not specifically tailor their tactical plan around Lamine Yamal ahead of their FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final clash against Spain.
He dismissed suggestions that France fears the Spanish teenager, warning that focusing exclusively on one player would be a mistake because of La Roja’s exceptional collective squad depth.
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Konate also pointed out that their previous defeat to Spain at the Euros was due to a makeshift French defensive line lacking chemistry, suggesting this World Cup clash will tell a different story.
“You cannot fear anyone,” France centre-back Konate told a press conference. “We will now prepare as best as possible and hope the result in the end will favour us.”
“Spain are an exceptional team, with a lot of individual quality, so we won’t be focusing on just one player even though Lamine (Yamal) is a great player,” said Konate, who had a brief substitute appearance in the win over Norway in their final group match.
“We are staying humble, we won’t fall into that trap,” he said.
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Konate also noted that the Ballon d’Or hype surrounding Yamal and certain French attackers (like Ousmane Dembélé) is largely a media narrative created to build tension.
While he praised the teenager’s talent and cheeky remarks, Konate emphasized that Les Bleus are entirely focused on executing their game plan and reaching the World Cup final.
