France don’t fear Spain, while Messi set for England clash in World Cup semis

France are not afraid of Spain going into their World Cup semifinal on Tuesday, defender Ibrahima Konaté said on Sunday, but they are conscious of their opponents’ quality and their near-perfect backline.

Spain have conceded only one goal in the entire tournament to reach the last four in search of a second World Cup title.

France, winners in 2018 and runners-up four years ago, know Spain very well, having lost to them in the Euro 2024 last four and also in last year’s Nations League semifinals.

“You cannot fear anyone,” France centre-back Konaté 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 Konaté, who had a brief substitute appearance in the win over Norway in their final group match.

Dayot Upamecano and William Saliba have been France’s starting centre-backs, as the tournament favourites eye their fifth World Cup final.

The French have reached four of the past seven World Cup finals. Should they take part in the 19 July showdown in New York, they will sustain the comparison with West Germany, arguably the ultimate tournament nation with four finals between 1974 and 1990.

But Konaté said the French were not wasting any thoughts on what might be.

“We are staying humble, we won’t fall into that trap,” he said.

They will need to find a way to break down this World Cup’s most effective backline, as well as contain as much as possible Lamine’s runs down the wings.

“I would not say ‘fear’ but we are conscious of their quality,” said fellow France centre-back Maxence Lacroix. “They have won all their matches (except a 0-0 draw against Cape Verde in the group), so we respect them. They have high-quality players but we want to win.”

Top of the list is Spain winger Lamine, who has earned praise from his coach for keeping opponents’ defenders busy as teammates use the spaces created.

“We will defend well, the best,” Lacroix said. “Lamine is a very good player and he has shown he can hurt teams at this World Cup. We will do the work that is needed.”

Different foundation

France arrived at the Euro 2024 semifinal as a team still searching for fluency.

Star striker Kylian Mbappé had been hampered by the fractured nose he suffered in their opening game, Antoine Griezmann was struggling to impose himself and the side had reached the last four despite failing to score freely from open play.

Their progress in the US has been built on a very different foundation.

Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé have scored 13 goals between them, Michael Olise has provided invention and control between the lines, while Bradley Barcola and Désiré Doué have offered another explosive option either from the start or off the bench.

France have become more coherent without the ball and more varied with it, capable of attacking at speed, slowing down the game or defending in a compact block for long periods without appearing uncomfortable.

That tactical flexibility was evident in their 2-0 quarterfinal victory over Morocco, when they resisted pressure, denied their opponents clear chances and waited patiently for the openings that eventually decided the match.

It is precisely that balance that will be tested against Spain, who will be able to rely on Lamine, a player rediscovering his groove after arriving at the tournament nursing a hamstring injury.

Luis de la Fuente’s side have retained the collective philosophy that carried them to the European title, using possession not merely to create chances but to suffocate opponents and protect their own defence.

Their record of one goal conceded underlines how rarely teams have been able to play through them, although Belgium showed during Spain’s 2-1 quarterfinal win that they can be unsettled when opponents escape the initial press and attack the space behind their midfield.

France appear better equipped than most to exploit those moments.

Mbappé’s pace will discourage Spain’s defenders from holding too high a line, while Dembélé’s ability to attack from the flank can create uncertainty over where the greatest threat will emerge.

Olise, meanwhile, has become one of France’s most important connectors, drifting inside to combine with the midfield before brutally accelerating attacks.

Manager Didier Deschamps will need to decide whether he wants to reinforce the midfield or remain faithful to the attacking structure that has made France the tournament’s most feared side.

Committing four attacking players would give Spain more to worry about but could also leave France exposed if their press is bypassed.

Messi set for first England meeting

Lionel Messi has spent more than two decades carving a path through international soccer, facing every World Cup-winning nation from Brazil to France, but one notable opponent has always been missing from the list: England.

That will change on Wednesday when Argentina meet the European side in their semifinal in Atlanta, a heavyweight clash that Argentina’s football association described on its website as “the match fate owed Messi”.

The 39-year-old Messi has played against Brazil, Uruguay, Germany, Italy, Spain and France during his career, yet never crossed paths with England.

The closest he came was a friendly in Geneva in November 2005, the last time the two sides faced each other.

Argentina lost 3-2 as Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen, who scored twice, overturned goals from Hernan Crespo and Walter Samuel. Messi, however, missed out after being sent off on his international debut against Hungary earlier that year.

“It’s special because they’re a great team, a powerhouse, and it’s always nice to play a team like that, a match of this kind,” Messi told reporters after Argentina’s 3-1 quarterfinal victory over Switzerland in extra time on Saturday.

“We need to rest because we come from a lot of wear and tear, which the group obviously feels, and arrive in the best possible condition to keep doing what we’ve been doing: competing,” he added.

Argentina survived a third consecutive dramatic knockout match, after defeating Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time in the round of 32 and staging a comeback to beat Egypt 3-2 in the last 16 after trailing 2-0 with 11 minutes remaining.

Messi contributed with an assist for Alexis Mac Allister’s opening goal against Switzerland, but it was the first World Cup match since Argentina’s 2-0 group-stage win over Poland at Qatar 2022 in which Messi did not score.

“England can outrun Argentina but they just have that little genius Messi. They all play for him. Everyone should be excited,” BBC pundit Micah Richards said. “Marking him is impossible because he doesn’t run back.”

The England clash will add another chapter to one of soccer’s most emotionally charged rivalries, shaped by decades of sporting drama and political tension, while giving Messi a place in a fixture that has produced some of Argentina’s most enduring soccer memories. Reuters/DM