Spain captain Rodri spoke about Lamine Yamal's condition ahead of the 2026 World Cup semifinal against France. According to the midfielder, the young winger remains one of the team's key players but sometimes tries too hard to prove his importance on the pitch. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Goal.

Spain reached the semifinal after a 2-1 victory over Belgium. Luis de la Fuente's team will next face France, who beat Morocco 2-0 in the quarterfinal.

Against this backdrop, attention has again turned to Yamal. The 19-year-old arrived at the tournament as one of the team's main stars but has not yet shown the same level of productivity as in club football (1 goal in 6 matches). However, Rodri believes the issue is not the player's level but that Yamal sometimes acts too tensely.

"I think he needs to calm down a bit and deal with this desire to constantly prove something. He is very important for us with and without the ball. He is a very smart guy, but he is 19 years old, and at certain moments in the match we have to calm him down," Rodri said.

The midfielder emphasized that Yamal is useful to Spain even when he does not score. His movement and work on the flank force opponents to shift, opening space for teammates. Yamal himself also does not believe his tournament should be judged only by goals.

"If we win the World Cup, no one will remember how many goals I scored or didn't score. If we win, we will all be happy – that's all I want," Yamal noted.

Rodri also noted that the winger has matured significantly compared to Euro 2024. According to him, Yamal is no longer perceived as just a young talent who surprises with his age. Now he is a full-fledged starter who listens to the advice of older teammates and continues to learn to read the game.

Separately, Rodri said he often advises Yamal not to switch off from episodes if the referee does not call a foul. In the captain's opinion, this is an important part of growing up for a young player: in matches of this level, you cannot wait for the whistle; you must immediately continue fighting.

Spain faces a match against France, and Rodri does not believe his team should focus on the previous meeting between the sides in the Nations League. Then the Spaniards won 5-4, although they led 5-1. However, the midfielder is confident that the World Cup semifinal will be completely different.

"We cannot let that Nations League match distract us from reality. Now we are at the World Cup. Such games are completely different. I don't think the match will be that open, and I don't expect us to have that many chances," Rodri said.

According to him, France will approach the semifinal as a more organized team that will be difficult to break down. Therefore, it is important for Spain not only to rely on Yamal's individual actions but also to maintain overall control of the game.

The France vs Spain semifinal will take place on the night of July 15.