A blockbuster clash awaits as France take on Spain in the first semi-final of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on July 14. The winners will advance to the final, where they will face either England or Argentina, who meet in the second semi-final.
France have enjoyed a flawless run to the last four. Les Bleus topped Group I after winning all three of their group-stage matches against Senegal, Iraq and Norway. Their knockout campaign began with a commanding 3-0 victory over Sweden in the Round of 32. France then edged past Paraguay 1-0 in the Round of 16 before defeating Morocco 2-0 in a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semi-final to book their place in the final four.
Spain's campaign began on an underwhelming note as they were held to a goalless draw by World Cup debutants Cabo Verde. However, La Roja quickly found their rhythm, beating Saudi Arabia and Uruguay to finish the group stage and secure a place in the knockout rounds.
In the Round of 32, the 2010 world champions cruised past Austria with a 3-0 win before edging Iberian rivals Portugal 1-0 in the Round of 16. Spain then defeated Belgium in the quarter-finals to reach their first World Cup semi-final in 16 years.
Match Time, Venue
The first semi-final at Dallas Stadium is set to kick-off at 12.30 a.m. Indian Standard Time on Wednesday.
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Head to Head
- Matches Played: 38
- Spain wins: 18
- France wins: 13
- Draws: 7
The upcoming match in Dallas will only be the second time that these two teams will be playing each other in a World Cup game. The last time these two footballing powerhouses went toe-to-toe at the World Cup was in the Round of 16 of the 2006 edition in Germany. In that game, David Villa opened the scoring for Spain with a first-half penalty but Franck Ribery, Patrick Vieira and Zinedine Zidane struck back to secure a 3-1 win for France.
Form Guide (last five matches, most recent first):
- France: W-W-W-W-W
- Spain: W-W-W-W-W
France
- Possible Starting 11: Mike Maignan; Jules Kounde, Dayot Upamecano, William Saliba, Lucas Digne; Manu Kone, Adrien Rabiot; Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue; Kylian Mbappe.
- Substitutes: Robin Risser, Brice Samba, Malo Gusto, Lucas Hernandez, Theo Hernandez, Ibrahima Konate, Maxence Lacroix, N'Golo Kante, Aurelien Tchouameni, Warren Zaire-Emery, Maghnes Akliouche, Bradley Barcola, Rayan Cherki, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Marcus Thuram
- Coach: Didier Deschamps
Spain
- Possible Starting 11: Unai Simon; Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella; Rodrigo Hernandez, Pedri Gonzalez; Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Alex Baena; Mikel Oyarzabal
- Substitutes: David Raya, Joan Garcia, Marcos Llorente, Marc Pubill, Eric Garcia, Alejandro Grimaldo, Martin Zubimendi, Fabian Ruiz, Mikel Merino, Pablo Paez 'Gavi', Ferran Torres, Borja Iglesias, Victor Munoz, Nico Williams, Yeremy Pino
- Coach: Luis de la Fuente
Players to Watch
- Kylian Mbappe (France): The Real Madrid star is having a brilliant campaign as he has fired in eight goals and provided three assists.
- Mikel Merino (Spain): Despite not starting, Mikel Merino is proving to be a key player for Spain. The Arsenal man is enjoying the happy knack of scoring late winners coming off the bench. He has done exactly that in Spain's last two knock-out games, first against Portugal and then against Belgium.
How To Watch Live Telecast?
The Franc vs Spain FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal match will be televised live in India on Unite8 Sports 1, Unite8 Sports 1 HD, Unite8 Sports 2 and Unite8 Sports 2 HD television channels.
How To Watch Live Streaming?
The France vs Spain FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal game will be streamed live on the ZEE5 app and website in English, Malayalam, Bangla and Hindi.
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