![France vs Spain: 2026 World Cup Semifinal](https://cdn.slatesource.com/e/c/f/ecf5cc57-f70d-4009-b2a9-d2fab62afb8c.webp) # France vs Spain: 2026 World Cup Semifinal - [Made in Slatesource](https://slatesource.com/@steph/france-vs-spain-2026-world-cup-semifinal) - By [Steph](https://slatesource.com/@steph) - Created on Jul 31, 2026 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 France captain and Golden Boot leader, 8 goals in 6 matches. Against Spain's 18-year-old phenomenon, The clash of rivals Kylian Mbappe goals at World Cup 2026 8 (Golden Boot leader) Michael Olise assists at this tournament (most by any player) 6 Lamine Yamal direct goal involvements (4G 5A) 9 Spain consecutive World Cup matches without conceding (WC record) 6 France goals scored across 6 matches at this tournament 15 Combined caps for the France and Spain starting XIs (approx.) 1,140 Five reasons this match could go either way 0% \- 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. 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. 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. ## What happenedhappened when these twotwo lastlast metmet SpainSpain 2 - 1 FranceFrance. MunichMunich, JuneJune 9, 20242024. EuroEuro 20242024 semifinalsemifinal. DaniDani OlmoOlmo scoredscored the openeropener. MbappeMbappe putput the ballball in his ownown netnet to makemake it 2-02-0. RandalRandal KoloKolo MuaniMuani pulledpulled oneone backback for FranceFrance latelate, but it was not enoughenough. SpainSpain wentwent on to winwin the tournamenttournament, beatingbeating EnglandEngland 2-12-1 in BerlinBerlin. FranceFrance wentwent homehome withoutwithout a trophytrophy for the secondsecond successivesuccessive majormajor tournamenttournament. That resultresult is the singlesingle datadata pointpoint that mattersmatters mostmost in the build-upbuild-up to TuesdayTuesday. BothBoth squadssquads referencereference it unpromptedunprompted in presspress conferencesconferences. 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. 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. 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. [FIFA World Cup 2026: official match centre, stats and lineups](https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canadamexicousa2026?utm_source=slatesource)