We are going to win this World Cup: Yamal

Spain's rising star Lamine Yamal has directly dismissed claims that France is in an advantageous position in the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup. Despite the French's excellent form, he is not willing to put any side ahead or favorite.

In an interview with 'El Partidazo de Copa', Yamal said that Spain has no reason to fear France. He is optimistic that his team will unleash their best in this high-voltage match of the knockout stage.

Regarding the encounter with France, Yamal said, 'They have not beaten us since the Euros. So they cannot be better or in a better position than us.'

The young Barcelona forward believes that the performance of the teams in the group stage will not have any impact on the knockout stage. According to him, the knockout stage is a completely different challenge.

He said, 'The group stage calculation is meaningless now. I don't think there is a clear favorite in this match. Of course, France are in great form and playing very high-quality football. They have great players in their team, but I don't think they are in a better position than everyone else.'

When asked about his dream for the final stage of the tournament, the Barca star said with confidence, 'I think we are going to win the World Cup this time.'

It is worth noting that Spain started this World Cup with a goalless draw against Cape Verde. However, they turned things around in the next match and thrashed Saudi Arabia 4-0. Then, Spain left the field with a hard-earned 1-0 win against Uruguay in the final match of the group stage.

Yamal came on as a substitute in the first match because he was not fully fit at the beginning of the tournament. Spain will face Austria in the Round of 32 match on July 3 at the Los Angeles Stadium.

On the other hand, France easily defeated Sweden 3-0 in the Round of 32, confirming their place in the last 16. French captain and Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe once again showed his excellent form by scoring a brace in this match.