Overview
- Ibrahima Konaté told reporters he would not be distracted by Lamine Yamal’s claim that France should be ‘afraid’ and said the team will ignore pre-match mind games.
- Konaté said France will not single out Yamal for special attention because Spain’s danger comes from multiple top-level players rather than one individual.
- He cited France’s Euro 2024 semi-final loss to Spain as influenced by a lack of defensive chemistry in that starting back line, using that context to explain how the team has changed since.
- Konaté described the France camp as light-hearted off the field but intensely focused on matchday, praised Didier Deschamps’ management, and called his recent move to Real Madrid a dream.
- The sides meet in a World Cup semi-final that will decide a finalist in a match scheduled for Tuesday, July 14, at Dallas/Arlington Stadium.