:COUNTDOWN [targettime:2026-07-14T19:00:00Z]
France vs Spain. World Cup Semifinal. AT&T Stadium. Dallas, Texas.


:PROFILE [image:https://cdn.slatesource.com/e/c/f/ecf5cc57-f70d-4009-b2a9-d2fab62afb8c.webp]
Kylian Mbappe vs Lamine Yamal
The clash of rivals
France captain and Golden Boot leader, 8 goals in 6 matches. Against Spain's 18-year-old phenomenon,

:STATS

:CHECKLIST
Five reasons this match could go either way
[ ] - Spain's defensive record is historic. Six matches without conceding is the longest run in World Cup history. Unai Simon has faced 12 shots in 540 minutes. To beat them France must do something no team at this tournament has managed.
[ ] - France, however, are the tournament's most prolific attack. Fifteen goals in six   matches, with Mbappe (8), Olise (6 assists, 3 goals) and Dembele (4 goals) all in   form simultaneously. A Spain clean sheet here is far from guaranteed.
[ ] - The Euro 2024 hangover. France lost 2-1 to Spain in the Euro 2024 semifinal. Mbappe   scored an own goal in that match. He has said publicly he wants a chance to correct   that narrative. France have form for redemption games.
[ ] - Lamine Yamal has never played a bad game at a major tournament. He is 18. He has   also never played a game this big. How Yamal handles the pressure of a World Cup   semifinal, against the best team he has faced, may decide the outcome.
[ ] - Midfield control. France's N'Golo Kante (age 35) is still the best ball-winner at   this tournament. Spain's Pedri and Rodri are the cleanest passing unit in the draw.   The team that wins the middle third for 90 minutes will likely advance.

:NOTE.half
France to watch. Michael Olise has 6 assists at this tournament, one short of the all-time single-edition record shared by Brazil legend Pele and Czechoslovakia's Vesely. He feeds Mbappe and Dembele in equal measure and Spain's back line will need to account for all three simultaneously or leave a gap they cannot afford.
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:NOTE.half
Spain to watch. Lamine Yamal created 19 chances from open play in the group stage and knockout rounds combined, more than any other player under 19 in World Cup history. His preferred zone is the right half-space against a high defensive line. France play a high line. Yamal did not have a stage this big in Euro 2024 and still ran the show.


:INFO
What happened when these two last met
Spain 2 - 1 France. Munich, June 9, 2024. Euro 2024 semifinal. Dani Olmo scored the opener. Mbappe put the ball in his own net to make it 2-0. Randal Kolo Muani pulled one back for France late, but it was not enough. Spain went on to win the tournament, beating England 2-1 in Berlin. France went home without a trophy for the second successive major tournament. That result is the single data point that matters most in the build-up to Tuesday. Both squads reference it unprompted in press conferences.


:NOTE
Spain are in their first World Cup semifinal since they won the trophy in 2010. That gap of 16 years covers four separate World Cup editions in which the defending champions went out in the group stage (2014), the round of 32 (2018 and 2022), and the round of 16 (also 2022 after a replay controversy). This generation, built around players who were children in 2010, has been trying to recapture that era. A win on Tuesday puts them one match away.


:NOTE
Injury watch. France midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni carries a groin issue into the semifinal but is expected to start. Spain midfielder Pedri is fully fit after a minor ankle concern in training on Saturday. No major absences are expected on either side for this match, which is not how either manager wanted the week to go given the schedule of five matches in 26 days.


:NOTE
Opta probability: France win 54.1 percent. Spain win 22.4 percent. Draw (extra time) 23.5 percent. France have a better head-to-head record at World Cups (two wins, zero Spain wins in three meetings), but Spain's current form makes this projection tighter than most expected when the bracket was set.


:LINK
https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026
FIFA World Cup 2026: official match centre, stats and lineups