2026 World Cup Semifinal Preview: France vs Spain

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A major match between France and Spain will take place in the semifinal round of the 2026 World Cup at Dallas Stadium, Arlington, United States, on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, starting at 02:00 Indonesian time. The match, which will be broadcast live on TVRI, will bring together two of the most consistent teams throughout the tournament.

France enters the match as a two-time finalist in previous World Cup editions. The team now has the opportunity to become only the third in history to reach three consecutive World Cup finals, joining Germany and Brazil. However, the ambitions of Les Bleus will be put to the test by the defending European champions, Spain, who have been one of their toughest opponents in recent years.

France's journey to the semifinals has been almost unobstructed. Led by Didier Deschamps, the team swept through six matches to become the champions of Group I. They then eliminated Sweden, Paraguay, and Morocco, scoring 16 goals.

France's frontline has been one of the most dangerous in the tournament. Kylian Mbappe has scored eight goals in six matches, supported by creative players such as Dembele, Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola, and Desire Doue.

In contrast to France, which relies heavily on individual quality, Spain has advanced with collective strength. The team led by Luis de la Fuente has maintained its high-tempo possession-based playing style, which has become their trademark.

Rodri, Pedri, and Fabian Ruiz have been the driving force in midfield, while Lamine Yamal poses the main threat on the wing. This combination has led La Roja to become the champions of Group H before eliminating Austria, Portugal, Belgium, and reaching the semifinals.

Mikel Merino has also been a crucial figure. After scoring the winning goal against Portugal in the round of 16, he once again became the hero by scoring the winning goal against Belgium in the quarterfinals. This makes him the first player to score the decisive goal as a substitute in two knockout-phase matches in the World Cup.

Spain's coach, Luis de la Fuente, affirmed that his team is not afraid to face France. "The French are in great form, and we have different playing styles. We have the greatest respect for our opponents, but we feel capable of beating any team," he said, as quoted from France24.

A similar statement was echoed by Lamine Yamal. "There are two possibilities -- either they reach three consecutive World Cup finals, or we beat them three times in a row. We'll see what happens. We aren't afraid at all," said the 19-year-old player.

In the French camp, when asked about successfully keeping Les Bleus competitive at the highest level, Deschamps chose to be modest. "I don't know, having very good players I guess. But I can't be doing my job too badly," he said.

Deschamps also revealed that unity is the main strength of his team. "It is a human adventure and even though I chose the players, to be with this squad every day is very important," he said.

Captain Mbappe agrees. "It is in this squad's DNA to all be together and behind the coach, whatever happens," said the Real Madrid star.

Current Team Conditions

It is expected that France will still be able to field Kylian Mbappe as a starter. As reported by Sportsmole, he only suffered a minor ankle injury when facing Morocco, so it is predicted that he has recovered.

Midfielder Manu Kone also experienced knee problems in the quarterfinals. However, his injury is not serious and he still has a chance to play. He is competing with Aurelien Tchouameni, who is also trying to recover from a thigh injury.

Mbappe, who has scored eight goals and is a candidate for the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot, is expected to be the main striker alongside Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele. Throughout the tournament, they have created 19 chances together.

Didier Deschamps still has to decide whether Bradley Barcola or Desire Doue will complement the frontline with Mbappe, Dembele, and Michael Olise.

Spanish National Team. Shutterstock

On the Spanish side, Mikel Oyarzabal, who has scored four goals, is predicted to remain as the spearhead. However, Ferran Torres, as well as Nico Williams and Yeremy Pino, who have recovered from injuries, all have the opportunity to enter the starting lineup.

Competition in the midfield is also fierce. Mikel Merino is likely to play as a substitute. Therefore, Pedri has a great chance to start alongside Fabian Ruiz and Dani Olmo in midfield.

Meanwhile, despite not being able to replicate his outstanding performance in Euro 2024, Lamine Yamal remains a key option on the right side of Spain's attack and will pair up with Pedro Porro.

Meeting Records

As reported by Sportskeeda, France and Spain have met 38 times in all competitions. Spain leads with 18 victories, while France has 13 wins, and seven matches have ended in draws.

The only meeting between the two teams in the final rounds of the World Cup occurred in the round of 16 of the 2006 edition. At that time, France came from behind to defeat Spain 3-1.

However, the recent trend of meetings has been more favorable to La Roja. Spain has won seven out of the last 10 matches against France, including a 2-1 victory in the Euro 2024 semifinals before becoming champions, as well as a dramatic 5-4 win in the UEFA Nations League 2024-2025 semifinals.

Predicted Lineups

France: Mike Maignan; Jules Kounde, Dayot Upamecano, William Saliba, Lucas Digne; Manu Kone, Adrien Rabiot; Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise, Desire Doue; Kylian Mbappe.

Coach: Didier Deschamps

Spain: Unai Simon; Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella; Rodri, Fabian Ruiz; Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Alex Baena; Mikel Oyarzabal.

Coach: Luis de la Fuente

Prediction

Spain remains unbeaten in the last 36 matches during regular time. They are only one game away from Argentina's longest record from 2019-2022. However, penalty shootouts remain La Roja's weakness. They lost in a penalty shootout in last year's UEFA Nations League final and have only won one of their last five penalty shootouts in World Cup finals. If the match goes to a penalty shootout, France's experience could be the differentiating factor in securing a spot in the final.

Read: Why France Is Favored to Win the 2026 World Cup

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