France are preparing to face Spain in the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup, raising questions about whether they will implement a specific strategy to defend against Lamine Yamal, given memories of their previous matchups in Euro 2024 and the 2025 Nations League. However, Adrien Rabiot showed no concern regarding the matter.
Rabiot made it clear that there is “no plan” specific to stopping the Spanish winger Lamine Yamal, who carries the total confidence of Dani Olmo. “There is no plan against Yamal; we are focused on the Spanish national team, not on one player in particular,” Rabiot stated to the media on Monday.
He added that the threat spans across all aspects of the opponent’s game. “We know they are dangerous in all aspects, whether it is him, in attack, with possession, attacking tight spaces near the box, or with their game in general. We must focus on that. I am not necessarily thinking about any player in particular,” Rabiot assured on Monday, while showing great confidence.
The past between Rabiot and Yamal
The AC Milan player was a central figure two years ago in the buildup to the Euro 2024 semifinal against Spain due to a statement where he said that if Lamine Yamal wanted to play in the final, he was going to have to “demonstrate even more things” than he had done up to that point.
Adrien Rabiot revealed that France do not have an “ANTI-YAMAL PLAN.” pic.twitter.com/3vDy8rxmga
— Bolavip US (@bolavipus) July 13, 2026
“I do not remember those exact words, but what I told him was surely true at that time,” Rabiot said when asked if he regretted his comments, which came before Yamal proved vital by scoring a brilliant goal in that French semifinal elimination.
Yamal vs France
Yamal has not yet shown his best version during the 2026 World Cup. However, his track record against Kylian Mbappe and France is highly favorable, as evidenced by the last two meetings between La Roja and Les Bleus.
Those matches resulted in two wins and three goals for Lamine. In the first encounter, during the Euro 2024 semifinals, the Barcelona player produced a goal from outside the box out of nowhere that completely changed the course of the match.
The Nations League marked the second time the two neighbors faced off. Once again, Lamine shone brightly, netting a brace in a spectacular 5-4 victory for Spain. That represents three direct blows against a defense that still does not know how to stop the young winger.
