Real Madrid new signing responds to Barcelona superstar ahead of World Cup semifinal – “He can say whatever he wants” | OneFootball

The mouthwatering World Cup semifinal between France and Spain has already produced its share of pre-match fireworks, with Real Madrid new boy Ibrahima Konate the latest to weigh in.

The France defender was responding to some bold comments from Barcelona star Lamine Yamal, who fired a warning shot at Les Bleus ahead of Tuesday’s blockbuster clash in Dallas.

What Lamine Yamal said

Konate was responding to Yamal’s comments. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

Speaking after Spain’s 2-1 quarterfinal win over Belgium, Lamine made it clear that he believes France should be the ones feeling the pressure heading into the last-four showdown.

“I think that if France has to fear anyone, it’s us, because we’ve knocked them out before,” the teenager said, pointing to Spain’s recent dominance in the fixture.

Spain eliminated France in the semifinals of Euro 2024, a match in which a 16-year-old Lamine scored a stunning long-range goal, before beating them again in the UEFA Nations League semifinals the following year.

Konate hits back

Konate, who recently completed his move to Real Madrid on a free transfer from Liverpool, was quick to respond to the Barcelona forward.

Konate has been a benchwarmer for France at this World Cup. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

“We shouldn’t be afraid of anyone. He can say whatever he wants, we’re preparing for the match in the best way possible,” Konate said (h/t Diario AS).

The centre-back went on to stress the importance of France keeping their composure and not being drawn into any mind games in the build-up to such a significant fixture.

“The important thing is to maintain the humility with which we started this competition and not fall into those kinds of traps, especially at a time like this,” he added.

Konate, though, is unlikely to feature in this contest as Didier Deschamps has mostly relied on the centre-back pairing of Dayot Upamecano and William Saliba so far.

One Real Madrid player who is expected to return is Aurelien Tchouameni, as he has reportedly recovered from his injury and should start vs Spain this midweek.