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France and Spain meet this Tuesday in one of the most exciting semifinals in recent world football history, with a ticket to the on the line. The match will take place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in front of an audience of nearly 100,000 spectators.
The French arrive as two-time world champions (1998 and 2018) with the ambition of competing in their third consecutive final, after falling to Argentina in Qatar 2022. Spain, for its part, is looking to return to the championship match for the first time since its victory in South Africa 2010.
Two seamless campaigns
France concluded the group stage with six victories in six matches as the leader of Group I, and in the knockout round, they dispatched Sweden, Paraguay (1-0), and Morocco (2-0) without conceding a single goal. In total, they scored six goals during this stage, with a team that combines defensive solidity and offensive strength.
Kylian Mbappé was instrumental against Morocco: he scored a goal and assisted Ousmane Dembélé, although he also missed a penalty. With eight goals in the tournament, he leads the race for the Golden Boot alongside Lionel Messi, having the edge with his three assists compared to Messi's two. Historically, Mbappé has accumulated 20 goals in World Cups in just three tournaments, one shy of the record of 21 held by Messi.
Spain had a more irregular start: they drew 0-0 against Cape Verde in their debut, but gradually improved to showcase the version that crowned them European champions. La Roja triumphed 3-0 over Austria, eliminated Portugal 1-0, and overcame Belgium 2-1 in the quarter-finals. That Belgian goal was the first they conceded throughout the entire competition.
Merino, the man of the moment
One of the major Spanish protagonists has been Mikel Merino, who became the first footballer to score the winning goal in two knockout matches of the same World Cup after coming off the bench: against Portugal in the 90+1 minute and against Belgium in the 88th. His ability to show up in crucial moments makes him one of the most valuable assets for coach Luis de la Fuente.
Another name to watch is Lamine Yamal, who has already scored three goals in his two previous encounters against France and will look to make an impact once again in one of the most important stages of his young career.
The recent history favors Spain
The history favors the Red. Spain has won seven of the last ten encounters between both teams, including the 2-1 in the semifinals of Euro 2024 and the 5-4 in the semifinal of the Nations League 2025.
In addition, Spain has gone 36 consecutive matches without a loss since March 2024, with 26 victories and ten draws. If they do not lose to France in 90 minutes, they will match the historic record of 37 unbeaten matches set by Italy between 2018 and 2021, a streak that ended precisely against the Spaniards in the semifinal of the Nations League that year.
Tactical keys of the clash
France stands out for its strength in the second half: eleven of its 16 goals in the tournament came after the break. It also leads the World Cup in shots on goal per match, with an average of 7.8.
Spain, on the other hand, has built its campaign around ball control, high pressing, and defensive security. In only four of their last 16 matches did both teams score, which reflects the difficulty opponents face in creating chances against them.
The winner of this match will face the victor of the other semifinal between Argentina and England on Sunday, July 19 in New York, which is scheduled for Wednesday, July 15.
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