The Spanish national team player Lamine Yamal shared his thoughts ahead of the upcoming match against France in the semi-finals of the 2026 European Championship.
Yamal expressed hope that the game will bring pleasure to fans, not only Spanish but also French supporters. He believes that both teams have equal chances and anticipates a very exciting confrontation.
In the player's opinion, this is one of the most significant matches in the world. He emphasized that the meeting against France will be the most important event in his professional career, and he is happy for the opportunity to take the field.
When asked if he fears France, Yamal answered a clear no, noting that he has been asked this question before, and his answer will not change. He also quoted Jules Koundé, stating that it is 'just a football match.'
Recall that the 2026 European Championship semi-final between France and Spain will take place today, July 14. The winner of this match will advance to the final, where they will meet either Argentina or England.
Norwegian national team striker Erling Haaland shared his feelings after the 2026 World Cup quarter-final match, in which the team lost to England with a score of 1:2.
Haaland admitted that his feelings are very heavy. He believes that the team deserved more and was very close to beating England. He noted that he feels a mix of emptiness and pride because they managed to reach the quarter-finals and gave England a real fight. His emotions, according to Haaland, are quite mixed.
Responding to the question about two controversial refereeing decisions, Haaland suggested that the fate of the World Cup is sometimes decided by several episodes. He recalled the match against Brazil, where they managed to change the course of the game in their favor. Before today's match, he assessed the chances at 50/50, emphasizing that England is a very strong team, and the match itself was extremely tense.
As a reminder, it was noted that England will play Argentina in the 2026 World Cup semi-finals. Meanwhile, Spain and France will meet in the other semi-final.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic commented on the defeat of the US national team by the Belgian team with a score of 1:4 in the JCH-2026 round of 16. He noted that the USA played against a stronger team, and that Belgium also looked significantly stronger in the documents.
In Ibrahimovic's opinion, this was the worst game for the USA in the tournament, but he emphasized that the team took to the field against a serious opponent. Despite the USA failing to advance to the first stage, Ibrahimovic believes they can be proud of themselves.
He added that the team did not disappoint in other matches of the tournament. Although today's result was poor, overall it turned out to be a good tournament for them, as the team demonstrated its maximum potential. Ibrahimovic concluded that perhaps, with luck, they could have advanced to the next round, but today's game was a learning lesson for them.
