France, often called Les Bleus, has delivered strong performances in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In their first four matches, they scored at least three goals. Kylian Mbappe’s recent brace led France to a 3-0 victory over Sweden in the Round of 32 on Tuesday, June 30. This result solidified France’s reputation as a formidable team at the tournament. Many believe that stopping them from winning the World Cup will be quite challenging.

Lamine Yamal, an 18-year-old rising star from Spain, remains unfazed by France’s success. “They haven’t beaten us since the Euros,” Yamal stated in a newly published interview with Juanma Castaño for El Partidazo de Cope. “They can’t be better than us.”

Yamal dismissed France’s impressive group stage record, highlighting that the “World Cup starts now” with the knockout stage. While he acknowledged France’s strong form, he expressed no belief in a clear favorite. “It happens to me that when a competition comes up, I think I’m going to win it,” Yamal remarked. “So, I think I’m going to win the World Cup this year, and the Champions League is going to be harder for me, because I think we’re going to win the World Cup this year.”

Yamal is experiencing his first World Cup for Spain, having scored his first-ever World Cup goal during his debut against Saudi Arabia on June 21. He has been recovering from a lingering hamstring injury but told Castaño he is feeling between 80-90% fit and could play the entire match against Austria in the Round of 32 on Thursday, July 2. Spain will rely on Yamal’s best efforts due to other injuries in the team.

If Spain defeats Austria, they will face the winner between Croatia and Portugal in the Round of 16 on Monday, July 6.