Didier Deschamps and Luis De la Fuente exchanged messages ahead of France's clash with Spain in the 2026 World Cup semi-final, after the French national team coach named his counterpart's side as the leading favourites, while the Spain coach responded by insisting that such declarations would do nothing to change the weight of pressure that comes with this stage of the tournament.
Deschamps, speaking at the pre-match press conference in Dallas, said that Spain, the European champions, remain «the biggest favourites», adding that this was not intended to put any pressure on De la Fuente, but rather reflected what everyone expects of the Spanish national team.
The France coach explained that Spain possesses a complete system, saying they know how to attack and defend, and that they do not concede many goals, predicting that the match would be an attacking contest between two sides with great capabilities in the final third.
Deschamps added that the France team also needs to control possession and has the ability to unsettle opponents, stressing that the contest would be a fierce one. He also dismissed talk of revenge following Les Bleus' defeat to Spain at Euro 2024 and the 2025 UEFA Nations League, insisting that his focus is entirely on Tuesday's match.
De la Fuente responded to his French counterpart's remarks, saying that tipping any team as favourites changes nothing, because all teams face enormous pressure at this stage, adding that attempting to shift the pressure onto the other side would add nothing.
Deschamps spoke about how to deal with Lamine Yamal, confirming that the aim would be to limit the impact of Spain's young player, before adding jokingly that individual duels would not be easy for the Spanish national team either when facing France's players.
The France coach reassured supporters about the physical condition of Kylian Mbappé, after the team captain suffered a knock to his right ankle during the final minutes of the quarter-final against Morocco, confirming that the player is «fine».
Deschamps revealed that midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni, who missed the matches against Paraguay and Morocco due to a muscle injury, is now available for selection, although he is still short of full physical fitness, without confirming whether he would start against Spain.
The France coach noted that Tchouaméni's last match was 15 days ago, saying he did not consider this an obstacle to the possibility of calling on him in the semi-final.