Spain Not Intimidated by France Ahead of World Cup Semifinal, Issues Warning

Spain's national soccer team is gearing up for what they acknowledge as their most significant challenge in years: a World Cup semifinal clash against France. The team, nicknamed 'La Roja,' is drawing confidence from past successes against Les Bleus, including victories in the Euro 2024 and the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League.

"We've played them many times, and they've been in our favor, let's hope tomorrow is the same," said Álex Baena, a left winger. He added that the team knew this matchup was possible since before the World Cup began. Baena anticipates a high-scoring game due to the offensive power of both sides. However, he believes Spain can gain an advantage by controlling the ball, stating, "We know about the four players they have up front, but we will try to do the same as in all games: have possession of the ball. Let's hope tomorrow we can control it much more and they are the ones running backward."

Pedro Porro, a right-back, acknowledged France's quality but stressed that Spain does not feel inferior. He believes that in a World Cup semifinal, neither team holds a clear favorite status. "It's one of the best teams in this World Cup, but no fear. I think in these types of games, there is no favoritism from one side or the other; they are two great teams. Tomorrow will be a very beautiful and difficult game at the same time, hopefully it turns out well [for us]," Porro stated.

Porro also highlighted the importance of facing France with the same personality shown in previous matches. "We have been working on seeing each game as a final, that is the mentality and that is what we have to do. We have to be concentrated and play our best game, be focused to give our maximum tomorrow and do the best possible," he added. The team's focus remains on executing their game plan and performing at their highest level to advance in the tournament.