Rodri: Spain have what it takes to defeat France

Rodri: Spain have what it takes to defeat France

Spain captain Rodri believes his team can overcome France in their World Cup semi-final showdown in Dallas.

The Manchester City midfielder is confident after their recent victories over Les Bleus and believes La Roja have the quality to reach their first World Cup final since 2010.

Rodri insists his side will not be intimidated by the tournament favourites and pointed to past wins over Didier Deschamps’ team as proof Spain can compete at the highest 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," he told the media.

Rodri’s confidence against France comes from experience, having enjoyed success over Les Bleus throughout his career.

The Spain captain was part of the team that defeated France in the 2015 Under-19 European Championship semi-final, before helping La Roja overcome them again in the Euro 2024 semi-final and last summer’s Nations League clash.

"Luis de la Fuente hasn’t changed at all," he said of his long-time coach.

"That’s where he began to build everything we see now. World Cup matches are a different beast; I don’t think it will be anywhere near as open."