NEWNow you can listen to Pak Gazette articles!
France and Spain will meet in the semi-final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday, July 14, 2026 at 3:00 pm ET from Dallas Stadium.
France has been dominant at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, going a perfect 6W-0D-0L in six games and coming within one win of becoming just the second team to record seven outright wins in the tournament, joining Brazil’s 2002 team (France went 7W-0D-0L in 1998, when it also advanced to the semifinals on penalties over Italy). Kylian Mbappé has been the driving force, scoring eight goals (tied with Messi for the Golden Boot) in six games to become the first player to score at least eight goals in consecutive World Cups and the only player with 20 goals in 20 games in the tournament. Michael Olise, in his first World Cup, has matched that standard from midfield with a tournament-high six assists in six games, one shy of tying Pelé’s all-time record for assists in a single tournament.
Spain’s results have not been as undeniable as France’s in six games in the tournament, but they have consistently found a way out, with each victory except a 4-0 thrashing of Saudi Arabia in the group stage and a 3-0 victory over Austria in the round of 32 decided by a single goal, two of them after the 85th minute and the last in stoppage time against Portugal. The real story has been his defense. Spain’s 2-1 victory over Belgium on Friday ended a streak of six consecutive games without allowing a goal, the longest streak in World Cup history, and goalkeeper Unai Simón’s 649 consecutive goalless minutes broke the tournament record of 622 set by Germany’s Nadine Angerer.
Below are details on how to watch.
How to watch France against Spain
Preview France vs Spain
France’s transition attack against Spain’s possession game is the key battle.
France has seemed the most ruthless counterattacking team in the tournament. Through 6 matches, he has scored 16 goals, and Kylian Mbappé has 8 of them and has also scored in all the qualifying matches that France has played. France does not need long periods of control to harm you. One loose touch, a broken rest-defence form and Mbappé can turn the field into open grass.
Spain will have a lot of ball, which will make this a very lively tactical duel. Spain averages 66 minutes of possession per game and has completed 92% of its passes, so it can pin teams down and force them to defend for long periods. But if that control doesn’t translate into clear-cut opportunities, it fits perfectly into France’s preferred script, especially now that Spain is still searching for the full version of Lamine Yamal and relying on late goals to overcome tight knockout games.
Look at the first Spanish attacks after a loss of the ball. If France bursts into space immediately, that could spell trouble for Spain.
Key players
There are only two players in World Cup history who have scored 20 goals in the FIFA World Cup: Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi. If Mbappé scores against Spain, he will be closer to eclipsing Messi on the all-time World Cup goals record, which currently stands at 21.
However, Mbappé will almost certainly break the all-time record: if not in this World Cup, then in the next one. The accolade he is not guaranteed to achieve again is the elusive World Cup title. Pelé is the only player to have won two World Cup titles before the age of 27; If Mbappé can defeat Spain, he has a good chance of becoming the second.
Lamine Yamal has left a lot to be desired in his first World Cup. After scoring a goal in Spain’s 3-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in the group stage, Yamal has not recorded a single goal in the tournament, a stark contrast to his performances at Euro 2024 and UEFA Nations League 2025.
The good news? Yamal has looked better in every game he has played since returning from injury in the group stage. If Yamal can rediscover his magic when facing a familiar face like Mbappé, Spain will be the favorites for that match and the following ones.
Odds between France and Spain
Learn more about France vs. Spain and check out the complete FIFA World Cup schedule on FOX Sports!
Want great stories delivered straight to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.
