Birthday present for Spain’s Yamal? World Cup semifinal win over France

 Lamine Yamal insists he would take no fear into Spain’s World Cup semifinal against France when both sides meet after he celebrated his 19th birthday.


The Barcelona prodigy raised eyebrows following Spain’s 2-1 quarterfinal defeat of Belgium last week after being quoted as saying that France rather than Spain ought to be “afraid” given recent defeats against La Roja.


A relaxed-looking Yamal addressed those comments as he spoke to reporters on Monday at a press conference.


“I was asked if I was afraid of France, and I said no,” Yamal explained. “We are European champions. It’s simply football,” the teenager explained.


Yamal said he had marked his 19th birthday by buying a chunky jewel-encrusted necklace he wore to his press conference. The real birthday present, though, would be a place in Sunday’s World Cup final.


“I haven’t received many gifts yet. The best gift would be a win on Tuesday and a trip to New York,” he said.


While other stars at this World Cup have been in blistering goal-scoring form, Yamal so far has only found the net once during the tournament – but is ready to add to his tally against France.


“I don’t focus on goals, but it’s always special to score in a match like this. I accept the challenge. That’s why I came here,” Yamal said, promising a “beautiful match for the spectators”.


“It’s the game everyone was waiting for,” he added.


While acknowledging the momentous nature of Tuesday’s game, Yamal remained laid-back in his approach.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ran war live: Khamenei says revenge for predecessor’s killing ‘inevitable’

Image
 In his first message since the funeral of his father, Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has pledged to “avenge [his] innocent blood”, adding that “revenge is the will of our nation”. US president says 1,000 missiles are “locked and loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran” with thousands more to follow if it tries to assassinate him. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticised the United States over its failure to uphold the interim agreement, warning that the administration’s actions demonstrate a clear breach of established commitments. Araghchi is taking part in talks in Oman in a bid for a diplomatic solution.
Read more

FIFA World Cup England vs Argentina: What to know ahead of second semifinal

Image
 Defending champions Argentina face England in the 2026 FIFA World Cup‘s second semifinal on Wednesday, renewing one of football’s bitterest rivalries. From the controversial “Hand of God” goal by Diego Maradona in 1986 to David Beckham being red-carded for kicking Diego Simeone in 1998, England vs Argentina matches at the World Cup have never been devoid of drama. Come Wednesday, as the two teams meet again on the sport’s biggest stage after 24 years, a new chapter opens in their storied history. It marks the first time Argentina legend Lionel Messi will face England, who have their own heroes in Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham. The winner of this semifinal will proceed to Sunday’s final, facing either France or Spain for a chance to be crowned the world champion again.
Read more

Beyond three Cs, the new lexicon of India-Australia ties

Image
 During his visit to Australia in May 2023, when the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and Australia was almost three years old, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had characterised India-Australia ties as having entered T-20 mode. He also stressed that the relationship had gone beyond the conventional three Cs — of Commonwealth, Cricket and Curry — and the subsequent three Ds — Democracy, Diaspora and Dosti. As Mr. Modi undertakes his third visit to Australia this week, it would be instructive to look at some of the recent progress in two other important dimensions, the Ds of Development and Defence. Growing bilateral economic cooperation has brought dividends like never before for both countries. All Indian exports to Australia now have duty free access under the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), benefitting textiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, engineering goods, gems and jewellery. Preferential access to 90% of Australia’s trade value has facilitated Au...
Read more