It’s expected to be 90+ minutes of pure drama. Two footballing giants, two squads stacked with superstars, and only one place in the World Cup final up for grabs.
France and Spain meet once again on the biggest stage, marking the third consecutive year the two European powers have clashed at the same stage of a major competition.
France: Flawless So Far, History In Sight
Les Bleus have been almost perfect in this tournament. They claimed the maximum nine points in Group I before cruising through three knockout games without conceding a goal.
Sweden were dispatched 3-0 in the last 32, Paraguay beaten 1-0 in the last 16, before a dominant 2-0 quarter-final win over Morocco.
France missed chances in that game, most notably a first-half penalty from Kylian Mbappe. But their captain made amends with a superb opener before turning provider for Ousmane Dembele to seal it.
That front four of Mbappe, Dembele, Michael Olise and either Bradley Barcola or Desire Doue has torn open even the tightest defenses. With eight goals already, Mbappe is leading the Golden Boot race and the pair have combined to create 19 chances for each other this summer.
This is a third straight World Cup semi-final for Didier Deschamps’ side. It’s also France’s 8th time in the last four, a tally only bettered by Italy’s 12.
Tuesday also sees Deschamps break the record for most World Cup matches managed with 26. Reach a third final in a row and France would join just three other nations to ever do it. More importantly, it would be a shot at redemption for Qatar 2022, when Argentina beat them on penalties to deny back-to-back titles.
France possible starting lineup: Maignan; Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Digne; Kone, Rabiot; Dembele, Olise, Doue; Mbappe
Mbappe was taken off in the quarter-final with a minor ankle sprain but should start. Manu Kone came off as a precaution with a knee issue and could battle Aurelien Tchouameni, who is returning from a thigh injury, for a spot.
Spain: 36 Games Unbeaten And Getting Stronger
La Roja stumbled out of the blocks with a shock 0-0 vs Cape Verde in Group H, but recovered to top the group with seven points and have been rolling since.
Spain hadn’t won a World Cup knockout game since 2010 before this summer. That changed with a 3-0 win over Austria and 1-0 over Portugal. Then came a 2-1 quarter-final win over Belgium where Mikel Merino scored late winners for the second game running.
Luis de la Fuente hasn’t lost in 13 World Cup and Euros games, W12 D1, the best start by any Spain manager. Extend that and Spain will also stretch their run to 37 games without defeat in regulation time, equaling Italy’s all-time record set in 2021. They’re currently on 36, W26 D10, since March 2024.
This is only Spain’s second World Cup semi-final since 2010. The good news: they’ve progressed in six of their last seven major tournament semis.
Spain possible starting lineup: Simon; Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Fabian; Yamal, Olmo, Baena; Oyarzabal
Mikel Oyarzabal has four goals and should lead the line, but Ferran Torres, Nico Williams and Yeremy Pino are pushing. In midfield, Merino and Pedri are staking claims ahead of Fabian Ruiz and Dani Olmo. Lamine Yamal is nailed on the right, linking with Pedro Porro who has edged Marcos Llorente for the RB spot.
Head-To-Head: Recent Meetings Have Been Wild
Spain lead the all-time H2H 18W-7D-13L from 38 meetings, including 7 wins in the last 10. Crucially, they’ve won the last two semi-final meetings: 2-1 at Euro 2024 and that chaotic 5-4 win in the 2025 UEFA Nations League finals.
No one will forget that Nations League thriller in June 2025. Expect tempo, and individual brilliance again. Two proud nations. Two excellent teams. One spot up for grabs.
Date, kick-off time:
U.S. ET: Tuesday, July 14, 3:00 p.m.
UK BST: Tuesday, July 14, 8:00 p.m.
East Africa: Tuesday, July 14, 20:00hrs
India IST: Wednesday, July 15, 12:30 a.m.
Australia AEST: Wednesday, July 15, 5 a.m.
