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By Vikram Iyer — 14 July 2026 — 3 min read

France and Spain prepare for semi-final showdown

France and Spain are set to face each other in a highly anticipated World Cup semi-final match in Dallas on Tuesday. Didier Deschamps, the manager of France, anticipates a “spectacular” encounter. This fixture follows previous meetings, including Spain‘s victory over France in Euro 2024, where Spain went on to become European champions. Additionally, Spain defeated Les Bleus in a high-scoring Nations League match last year.

Deschamps, who is concluding his 14-year tenure as manager after the tournament, stated that past results are not indicative of the upcoming game. He expressed confidence in his team’s current form, noting, “We are now at another level. We want to be in the final.” France, two-time world champions, could become only the third nation to reach three consecutive World Cup finals if they secure a win in Texas. This achievement has only been managed by West Germany (1982, 1986, 1990) and Brazil (1994, 1998, 2002).

Deschamps, who captained France to the world title in 1998 and led them to victory in 2018 before their penalty shootout loss to Argentina in the 2022 final, suggested that Spain might be considered the favourites for the semi-final. He highlighted Spain‘s defensive record, having conceded only one goal in six matches. Despite this, he believes the offensive quality of both teams could lead to a very entertaining game.

Managerial perspectives and key players

Spain‘s manager, Luis de la Fuente, downplayed Deschamps’ assessment of Spain being favourites. He emphasised that both are strong national teams and that the label of favourite does not add extra pressure, as the desire to perform well for their country is already present. De la Fuente also shared a quote from Roman general Julius Caesar, stating, “you can’t win without suffering,” indicating his belief in the necessity of enduring challenges to achieve significant success.

France has demonstrated strong offensive capabilities in the tournament. Kylian Mbappe has been a central figure, contributing eight goals and three assists. If Mbappe scores against Spain, he will surpass Lionel Messi‘s tally of eight goals in the race for the Golden Boot. De la Fuente acknowledged the threat posed by France‘s key players, including Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, and Michael Olise, but stressed the importance of his team focusing on their own style of play.

Mbappe has been in exceptional form, scoring in every knockout round after bagging four goals in the group stages. He is considered a significant threat for Les Bleus, especially after his hat-trick in the World Cup final loss to Argentina in Qatar. Michael Olise, despite not scoring, has provided five assists, making him the tournament’s leading assist provider. His partnership with Mbappe has been a notable aspect of France‘s attack. Ousmane Dembele has also been prolific, scoring five goals, including a hat-trick against Norway and a goal against Morocco in the quarter-finals. The combined 13 goals from Mbappe and Dembele mark a significant scoring partnership, reminiscent of Brazil‘s Ronaldo and Rivaldo in 2002.

For Spain, Lamine Yamal, an 18-year-old, is considered a key attacking threat despite having scored only one goal in a 4-0 group stage victory over Saudi Arabia. Yamal was named player of the match in Spain‘s quarter-final win against Belgium and has recorded the most successful dribbles in the tournament. He previously scored against France in the Euro 2024 semi-finals. Mikel Oyarzabal is Spain‘s top scorer in this World Cup with four goals, having also scored six goals in World Cup qualification. He has a history of scoring crucial goals, including an 86th-minute winner against England in the Euro 2024 final. Mikel Merino, an Arsenal midfielder, has scored two goals as a substitute, providing late winners against Portugal and Belgium, and could be a key player off the bench against France.

Source: bbc.com