FIFA World Cup 2026: Spain celebrate Yamal, Munoz birthdays ahead of semi-final against France
Texas, July 14
Spain's men's national football team celebrated the birthdays of youngsters Lamine Yamal and Victor Munboz as the squad continued preparations for its FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal against France.
The official X account of the Spanish Men's National Football Team shared a video from the team's camp with the caption, "We want to be here until the 19th," reflecting Spain's ambition to reach the World Cup final and remain in the tournament until its conclusion.
The video showed Yamal and Munoz celebrating their birthdays alongside teammates, with the pair cutting a specially designed cake as the squad marked the occasion.
The celebrations came on the eve of Spain's semifinal clash against France, with the European giants aiming to secure a place in the World Cup final.
Barcelona star Yamal had earlier said his team has no fear of facing one of the tournament favourites, France.
Speaking to TV Espana, as quoted by The Athletic, Yamal recalled Spain's previous success against France and backed his side to compete against the European giants.
"If anyone should be afraid, it should be them -- we knocked them out of the Euros. Obviously we are two great teams, among the best in the world. We'll see what happens, but we have no fear," Yamal said to TV Espana, as quoted by The Athletic.
Yamal's comments came after La Roja defeated Belgium 2-1 in a neck-to-neck quarter-final contest in the ongoing 23rd edition.
Coming to the match, Fabian Ruiz, starting ahead of Pedri, opened the scoring after capitalising on a rebound, while Charles De Ketelaere equalised for Belgium just before halftime.
Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon's run of 560 consecutive World Cup minutes without conceding ended, surpassing Walter Zenga's previous tournament record.
Belgium suffered a blow when goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was forced off injured, and substitute Mikel Merino netted the winner.
Yamal was named Player of the Match, and the victory extended Spain's unbeaten streak to 36 matches, equalling Argentina's run from 2019 to 2022 and leaving them one short of Italy's world-record 37-game unbeaten streak.
— ANI
Reader Comments
I'm surprised Spain benched Pedri for Fabian Ruiz. But the result speaks for itself - the depth in this squad is incredible. Yamal at his age is playing without pressure, pure joy to watch. The birthday celebrations must have boosted team morale before the big game.
Spain's record equals Argentina's run? That's massive company. But I feel they should respect France more - you can't just talk like that before a semi-final. Remember, France has Mbappe and Griezmann who can change the game in seconds. Still, it's going to be a cracker of a match! 🍿
As someone who follows La Liga, I'm so happy to see Yamal and Munoz getting recognition. These young talents are the future of Spanish football. The birthday video on X was so wholesome - shows the team chemistry. India's football development could learn a lot from Spain's youth system. 🇮🇳⚽
560 minutes without conceding until De Ketelaere's goal - Simon's record is incredible! Zenga's record stood for 34 years. That's the kind of defensive solidity that wins tournaments. Spain's unbeaten streak is closing in on Italy's 37-match world record - they could achieve that with a win against France.
Happy birthday to Yamal and Munoz! 🎂 What a way to celebrate - on the eve of a World Cup semi-final. The confidence Yamal showed in that interview is exactly what you need at this stage. Spain vs France will be like El Clasico on steroids. Fingers crossed for an exciting match
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