Rodri Is Confident Spain 'Can Beat' France Again To Reach World Cup Final

Spain captain Rodri believes his side has what it takes to overcome France in their blockbuster World Cup semifinal clash in Dallas. 

The Manchester City midfielder is drawing confidence from recent victories over Les Bleus as La Roja aim to reach their first global final since 2010.

Rodri is far from intimidated by the prospect of facing one of the tournament favorites. Speaking ahead of the semi-final at the AT&T Stadium, the Ballon d'Or winner highlighted Spain’s previous successes over Didier Deschamps' side to prove they belong on the same level. 

"France are one of the best teams here, in great form, but so are Spain. We can beat them, we’ve seen that at the Euros and in the Nations League," the captain explained.

Success against France is nothing new for Rodri. He was part of the side that beat them in the 2015 Under-19 Euros semi-final, as well as the Euro 2024 semi-final and last summer's Nations League.

"Luis de la Fuente hasn’t changed at all," Rodri said of his long-time coach. "That’s where he began to build everything we see now." 

While many expect a repeat of last year's 5-4 thriller, the midfielder anticipates a tighter affair, noting: "World Cup matches are a different beast; I don’t think it will be anywhere near as open."

(Getty Images Sport)

A huge part of Spain’s tactical plan involves 19-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal. However, Rodri has called for his young teammate to find a balance between his explosive talent and the emotional demands of the biggest stage.

"I think he needs to calm down a bit, that anxiety that sometimes he has to prove himself," Rodri admitted. "He's a very important player for us because of what he does with and without the ball, and he's a very intelligent guy. It's true