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France and Spain will meet in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday, July 14, 2026 at 3 p.m. ET from Dallas Stadium.
France have dominated the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with a perfect record of 6W-0D-0L in six matches and one win away from becoming the second team to record seven wins at the tournament, joining Brazil’s 2002 team (France themselves went 7W-0D-0L in 1998, when they also advanced to the semi-finals on penalties against Italy). Kylian Mbappé was the driving force, scoring a tournament record eight goals (tied with Messi for the Golden Boot) in six matches to become the first player to score at least eight goals in consecutive World Cups and the only player with 20 goals in 20 tournament matches. Michael Olise, in his first World Cup, matched that standard from midfield with a tournament-record six assists in six matches, just shy of Pele’s all-time record for assists in a single tournament.
Spain’s results haven’t been as undeniable as France’s over the tournament’s six matches, but they have always managed to claw their way through, with every victory barring a 4-0 defeat to Saudi Arabia in the group stage and a 3-0 win over Austria in the round of 16 decided by a single goal, two of which came after the 85th minute and the latest in stoppage time against Portugal. The real story was their defense. Spain’s 2-1 victory over Belgium on Friday ended a streak of six consecutive matches without conceding a goal, the longest such streak in World Cup history, and goalkeeper Unai Simón’s 649 consecutive minutes without a goal broke the tournament record of 622 set by Germany’s Nadine Angerer.
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How to watch France vs Spain
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France’s transition attack against Spain’s possession game is the key battle.
France appears to be the most ruthless counter-attacking team in the tournament. Through 6 matches, she has scored 16 goals, and Kylian Mbappé has 8 while scoring in every knockout match France has played. France doesn’t need long periods of control to hurt you. One loose touch, one broken form of rest-defense and Mbappé can turn the pitch into open grass.
Spain will have plenty of the ball, making it a live tactical contest. Spain averages 66 minutes of possession per game and has completed 92% of their passes, allowing them to push teams away and force them to defend for long periods. But if that control doesn’t translate into clear-cut chances, it fits perfectly into France’s preferred scenario, especially as Spain are still looking for the full version of Lamine Yamal and relying on late goals to get through tight knockout matches.
Watch the first Spanish attacks after a turnover. If France enters space immediately, it could cause problems for Spain.
Key players
There are only two players in World Cup history who have scored 20 goals at the FIFA World Cup: Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi. If Mbappé scores against Spain, he will move closer to eclipsing Messi for the all-time World Cup goals record, which currently stands at 21.
Mbappé is almost certain to break the all-time record – if not this World Cup, then the next. The accolade he is not guaranteed to be within reach of again is the elusive World Cup title. Pelé is the only player to win two World Cup titles before the age of 27; If Mbappé manages to defeat Spain, he has a good chance of becoming the second.
Lamine Yamal left a lot to be desired in his first World Cup. After scoring a goal in Spain’s 3-0 win over Saudi Arabia in the group stage, Yamal recorded no goals at the tournament, a stark contrast to his performance at Euro 2024 and the 2025 UEFA Nations League.
The good news? Yamal has looked better in every match he has played since returning from injury in the group stage. If Yamal can rediscover his magic against a familiar face in Mbappé, Spain will be favorites for this match and beyond.
France vs Spain odds
Learn more about France vs Spain and check out the full FIFA World Cup schedule on FOX Sports!
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