Spain and France meet in Dallas for a semifinal that feels like an early final—just as it did at the 2022 European Championship—with two European giants at the peak of their competitive form. La Roja is on a roll after narrowly eliminating Portugal and Belgium, while Les Bleus are seeking their third final in four World Cups, led by a stellar Mbappé.
Spain returns to the World Cup semifinals for the first time since South Africa 2010—where it won its only title—after a decade of mixed results. France, the reigning 2022 runner-up and a semifinalist in 2018 as well, has reached the final four for the third consecutive time. The rivalry of recent years adds spice to the matchup, as Spain defeated the French 5-4 in the 2025 Nations League semifinals, while France still holds onto the memory of its 3-1 victory in 2006. Though nothing compares to the Euro match two years ago and that goal by Lamine Yamal that went viral around the world.
Luis de la Fuente’s team overcame a lackluster debut—a scoreless draw against Cape Verde—to ultimately claim first place in Group H and build confidence through solid defense. In the knockout stage, Spain posted a convincing 3-0 victory over Austria in the Round of 32 before enduring nail-biting finishes against Portugal and Belgium—both of whom they eliminated with last-minute goals in highly intense matches where Spain proved it has what it takes to compete at this level. Mikel Merino’s decisive goals against Belgium and Portugal highlight the resilience of a team that always finds one more resource when the match seems headed for extra time.
The French steamroller and Mbappé’s finishing
France enters this semifinal with the confidence of having lived up to its status as favorite since the group stage, where it topped its group following a stellar performance by Ousmane Dembélé, who scored a hat trick that paved the way to the knockout rounds. In the quarterfinals, Didier Deschamps’s team secured a convincing 2-0 victory over Morocco in Foxborough, with Kylian Mbappé proving decisive despite missing a penalty, and Dembélé once again sealing the win to confirm their advancement to Dallas. Les Bleus are now a mature unit, accustomed to handling the pressure at this stage of the tournament, and with a roster of stars that makes every offensive transition a nightmare for their opponents.
The match will be a battle of styles. On one side, Rodri and Lamine Yamal’s Spain, which controls possession and dictates the pace; on the other, a France that is lethal in open play with Mbappé as the driving force. The match will revolve around two key areas: the midfield duel between Rodri and the physical presence of Koné or Tchouaméni, and the management of the imbalances on the wings, where Lamine and Dani Olmo will test their one-on-one skills against Koundé, who will also have to contain Cucurella’s runs. On the benches, the tactical strategies also promise to be intriguing. Luis de la Fuente has shown the flexibility to bring in players like Fabián or Merino off the bench, while Deschamps manages offensive alternatives to change the script on the fly.
In Spain, the core of the team seems set with Unai Simón in goal, a defense that combines Laporte’s experience with Cubarsí’s freshness, and a midfield built around Rodri. The questions lie at right back, where the more attacking option of Pedro Porro competes with the all-around profile of Marcos Llorente, and in the attacking midfield, with Baena under threat from Merino, who is crying out for a spot after his decisive performances. Up front, Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo look set to partner Oyarzabal, the linchpin of an attack that has learned to thrive without a traditional center forward.
France, for its part, is banking on the continuity of a starting lineup in which Maignan provides stability, with Koundé and Digne securing the flanks and the Upamecano–Saliba duo forming a solid central defensive wall. In midfield, Tchouaméni’s return faces stiff competition from the outstanding form of Manu Koné, while further up the field, Dembélé, Olise, and Barcola are vying to create the ideal environment for Mbappé, who—though nursing an ankle injury but still available—remains the tournament’s biggest game-changer. The question of who will start on the left wing—Barcola or Doué—will remain the biggest uncertainty until the very end.
The head-to-head record between the two teams stands at 38 matches, with the balance tilted in Spain’s favor. The match is like an early final, with La Roja arriving eager to return to a final sixteen years later, backed by fans who will paint the stands in Dallas red, while France seeks to cement its status as a modern-day powerhouse by securing another appearance in a World Cup final.