France players address Lamine Yamal's remarks before World Cup semifinal

Ahead of the highly anticipated World Cup semifinal between Spain and France, French defenders Ibrahima Konaté and Jules Koundé have responded to comments by Spain's Lamine Yamal, who claimed France cannot say they are better since they have not beaten Spain recently. Source: Infobae

Konaté urged the team to stay humble and avoid falling into traps set by Yamal's comments. "Maintain the humility with which we started this competition and not fall into that kind of trap," he told El Confidencial. He emphasized that France is focusing on Spain as a whole, not just one player. Source: El Confidencial

Koundé, Yamal's teammate at Barcelona, took a different tone, stating that Yamal's words are not disrespectful but rather a form of self-motivation. "I know Lamine very well. I know how he is, and for me, it's a sign of confidence. He does it also at Barça," Koundé said. Source: Infobae He added that France must respect Spain's possession game but also exploit transitions. Source: El Confidencial (second article)

• Konaté on strategy: "Not focusing on a single player, because the whole team can hurt you. It's not just Lamine, it's all of Spain." Source: El Confidencial
• Koundé on recent history: "The last matches we have had against Spain have not gone as we wanted. We keep that phrase in a corner of our heads, or at least in a corner of mine." Source: El Confidencial (second article)

The match will take place on July 14 in Dallas, with the winner advancing to the final.