France do not fear Spain but respect their quality, players says

France's national football team is preparing to face Spain in the World Cup semi-final, with defenders Ibrahima Konate and Maxence Lacroix expressing a mixture of respect and confidence. Konate stated that while the team "cannot fear anyone," they are "conscious of their quality" and Spain's formidable defense, which has allowed only one goal throughout the tournament.

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You cannot fear anyone. We will now prepare as best as possible and hope the result in the end will favour us.

Spain has reached the semi-finals aiming for their second World Cup title, and France, the 2018 champions, are aware of their opponent's strengths. The two nations have a recent history of competitive matches, with Spain defeating France in the Euro 2024 semi-finals and the Nations League semi-finals last year.

Konate, who has seen limited game time behind starting center-backs Dayot Upamecano and William Saliba, emphasized the team's focus on preparation and maintaining humility. "We won't fall into that trap," he said, referring to potential overconfidence. France is aiming for their fifth World Cup final appearance, drawing parallels with West Germany's historical tournament dominance.

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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.

Lacroix echoed Konate's sentiments, acknowledging Spain's "exceptional team, with a lot of individual quality." He specifically mentioned Spain's winger Lamine Yamal as a significant threat, noting his ability to create opportunities. "We will defend well, the best," Lacroix assured, highlighting the team's commitment to containing Spain's attacking threats while also looking to exploit spaces created by their opponents.

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We are staying humble, we won't fall into that trap.

The French team is focused on breaking down Spain's "most effective backline" and containing Yamal's runs down the wings. Despite Spain's impressive record, France remains determined to secure a victory and advance to the final.

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I would not say 'fear' but we are conscious of their quality. 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.