Football's biggest rivalry renews itself on the sport's biggest stage. Spain vs France, the first semifinal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, kicks off Tuesday at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas — and it pits the tournament's two pre-competition favorites against each other with a place in the final on the line.
When and Where: Spain vs France Kickoff Details
Match: Spain vs France, FIFA World Cup 2026 Semifinal
Venue: Dallas Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Stage: Semifinal (first of two)
Road to the Semifinal
France arrive in Dallas unbeaten and dominant, having won all six of their matches so far. They booked their semifinal spot with a 2-0 win over Morocco, avenging their narrow 2022 World Cup semifinal victory over the same opponent. Michael Olise has been the standout performer of France's campaign, racking up a tournament-high six assists — one shy of matching Pelé's all-time World Cup record for a single edition.
Spain have taken a grittier route to the final four. La Roja edged past Belgium 2-1 in the quarterfinals thanks to a late Mikel Merino winner, continuing a pattern of tight, low-scoring victories. Aside from routs over Saudi Arabia and Austria, most of Spain's wins have been decided by a single goal, with two match-winning goals arriving after the 85th minute. Their defense has been the backbone of the run: Spain went six straight matches without conceding before finally being breached by Belgium.
The Headline Duel: Mbappe vs Yamal
Beyond the collective quality on both sides, this match is billed around two of the sport's brightest individual talents: Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal, club rivals in El Clasico who now meet again on the international stage — two years after Yamal's Spain beat France in the Euro 2024 semifinal.
Mbappé has been in ruthless form, leading the Golden Boot race with eight goals and three assists at this World Cup. He sits just behind Lionel Messi on the all-time World Cup scoring list and could move closer to the record with a goal against Spain. Yamal, by contrast, has had a quieter tournament by his own standards, with just one goal contribution since the group stage — a stark contrast to his Euro 2024 heroics.
Head-to-Head History
France and Spain have a rich recent rivalry despite only one previous World Cup meeting — a 3-1 France win in the 2006 last 16, featuring goals from Franck Ribéry, Patrick Vieira and Zinedine Zidane. At the European Championship level, the sides have met five times, with two wins apiece and one draw, including Spain's 2-1 win in the 2024 semifinal.
Prediction
Analytics models give France a slight edge, with one supercomputer projection putting France's win probability at 42.1% in regulation time compared to 31.8% for Spain, and a 26.1% chance the match goes to extra time. Given France's attacking firepower and Spain's stubborn defense, expect a tight, tactical contest that could well go beyond 90 minutes — but France's cutting edge in the final third may just be enough to book their place in the final.
Prediction: France to win 2-1