Didier Deschamps attempted to ease the pressure on France ahead of their FIFA World Cup semi-final showdown with Spain, handing the responsibility of being labelled favourites to La Roja before the two teams meet at AT&T Stadium.
During Monday’s pre-match press conference, the France manager highlighted Spain’s strengths and suggested that Luis de la Fuente’s side should carry the weight of expectations despite France entering the contest as the world’s top-ranked team.
"I can confirm Spain are the favorites," Deschamps told reporters, kicking off his trademark pre-match mind games. "I don't want to put pressure on Luis de la Fuente and his team, because he knows people have high expectations for Spain. They know how to attack and defend very well, conceding only one goal in seven matches."
While Deschamps focused on shifting the spotlight away from his own squad, France received a major boost ahead of the crucial encounter with the return to full fitness of captain Kylian Mbappe.
The forward had raised concerns after being taken off during France’s quarter-final victory, but Deschamps confirmed that Mbappe was ready to lead the attack against Spain.
"Kylian is doing well. He is at 100 per cent," Deschamps said."We can't go beyond 100. He is at 100 per cent."
The update comes as a significant relief for Les Bleus, who continue to deal with minor fitness concerns within the squad. Midfielder Aurlien Tchouameni, who missed the 2-0 quarter-final win over Morocco because of a hamstring problem, is not yet at his best but has been included in the matchday squad.
France enter the semi-final as the tournament’s most dangerous attacking force. Driven by Mbapp and an aggressive attacking approach, Les Bleus have scored 16 goals in six matches, repeatedly breaking down opponents through fast-paced and fluid attacking movements rather than adopting a cautious approach.
Spain’s route to the last four has followed a completely different pattern. Under Luis de la Fuente, La Roja have relied on defensive discipline and organisation, limiting opposition chances throughout the tournament. Apart from their opening goalless draw against Cape Verde, Spain have conceded only once in their World Cup campaign.
Despite the contrast between the two teams’ styles, Deschamps rejected the idea that the semi-final would become a defensive battle lacking attacking ambition.
"It could be a spectacular game, featuring two teams with great attacking quality," the France boss added.
"Both sides focus on defending well, but given the attacking quality of both teams, one has to expect a spectacular match."
The meeting in Texas also carries the significance of a recent rivalry, with the contest serving as a repeat of the Euro 2024 semi-final. Spain came from behind to defeat France 2-1 in Munich before eventually winning the tournament.
With Mbappe fully fit and Deschamps attempting to place the psychological pressure on Spain, France will hope their latest encounter with La Roja produces a different outcome in Dallas.
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