France and Spain meet in their 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinal on Tuesday, July 14, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. ET from Dallas Stadium.
France has been dominant at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, going a perfect 6W-0D-0L through six matches and sitting one win away from becoming just the second team ever to record seven outright wins at the tournament, joining Brazil’s 2002 side (France went 7W-0D-0L itself in 1998, when it also advanced to the semifinals on penalties over Italy). Kylian Mbappé has been the driving force, posting a tournament-high eight goals (tied with Messi for the Golden Boot) in six matches to become the first player to score at least eight goals in back-to-back World Cups and the only player with 20 goals in 20 tournament matches. Michael Olise, in his first World Cup, has matched that standard from midfield with a tournament-high six assists in six matches, one shy of tying Pelé’s all-time record for assists in a single tournament.
Spain’s results haven’t been as undeniable as France’s through six games at the tournament, but it has consistently found a way through, with every win except a 4-0 rout of Saudi Arabia in the group stage and a 3-0 win over Austria in the round of 32 decided by a single goal, two of them after the 85th minute and the latest coming in stoppage time against Portugal. The real story has been their defense. Spain’s 2-1 win over Belgium on Friday ended a streak of six straight matches without allowing a goal, the longest such run in World Cup history, and goalkeeper Unai Simón’s 649 consecutive scoreless minutes broke the tournament record of 622 set by Germany’s Nadine Angerer.
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France’s transition attack against Spain’s possession game is the key battle.
France has looked like the tournament’s most ruthless counterpunching side. Through 6 matches, it has scored 16 goals, and Kylian Mbappé has 8 of them while also scoring in every knockout match France has played. France does not need long stretches of control to hurt you. One loose touch, one broken rest-defense shape and Mbappé can turn the field into open grass.
Spain will have plenty of the ball, making this such a live tactical contest. Spain is averaging 66 minutes of possession per match and has completed 92% of its passes, so it can pin teams back and force them to defend for long spells. But if that control does not turn into clean chances, it plays right into France’s preferred script, especially with Spain still searching for the full version of Lamine Yamal and leaning on late goals to get through tight knockout games.
Watch the first few Spanish attacks after a turnover. If France is breaking into space immediately, that could spell trouble for Spain.
There are just two players in World Cup history that have scored 20 goals at the FIFA World Cup: Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi. If Mbappé scores against Spain, he will get closer to eclipsing Messi for the all-time World Cup goalscoring record, which currently sits at 21.
Mbappé is almost certain to break the all-time record, though â if not this World Cup, then the next one. The accolade he’s not guaranteed to be within striking distance of again is the elusive World Cup title. Pelé is the only player that has ever won two World Cup titles before the age of 27; if Mbappé can take down Spain, he has a great shot of becoming the second.
Lamine Yamal has left much 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 hasn’t registered a single goal contribution at the tournament, a stark contras
