Pedro Porro says his link with Lamine Yamal is built on trust, repetition and talking before kick-off and during the match. The Spain right-back says the early games were harder because he does not play with Yamal in England, so the pair have had to learn what each other needs in different moments. Spain now take a 36-match unbeaten run into a World Cup semi-final against France.

Carrick's role change on Spain's right side

Porro's point is pretty simple. “It's more a matter of trust,” he told goal.com. “With more matches, with more playing time alongside him, you get used to it.”

He added that the first few games were more difficult because he does not play with Yamal for Tottenham and has to adapt to what the winger needs in each match. “We even talk to each other before matches. And even during the match,” Porro said. “It's getting better all the time, which is important for him, for the team, and for me.”

The partnership is still a work in progress, but Porro's own tournament numbers suggest he has handled the job well enough. His World Cup rating is 7.11, while Yamal has already made 6 appearances and played 413 minutes.

Spain's task against France

Porro did not hide from the other side of the draw. He called Kylian Mbappe “one of the best players in the world” and “a differential player”, before saying Spain hope to stop him on Tuesday.

Spain's 36-match unbeaten run is the headline number, but Porro's warning was about concentration, not comfort. “We have been undefeated for 36 matches,” he said. “It is about focusing on ourselves, on doing things well and trying to make sure they don't have their best game.”

That sounds like the right framing. Spain have earned the right to trust their own structure, but France still bring enough individual threat to punish any loose spell. Yamal's 21 completed dribbles at the tournament give Spain a major outlet of their own, and Alejandro Baena has been just as blunt in his praise, saying the teenager is delivering “a fantastic tournament” and “a huge tournament.”

The semi-final is not just about whether Spain stay unbeaten. It is also a test of whether Porro and Yamal's relationship keeps improving when the opponent is France vs Spain and the margin for error gets much smaller.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →