The first semi-final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will pit Spain and France, the two highest-ranked teams in Europe and one of the most heated rivalries in world football.
For many fans, the pre-tournament battle between the favorites is the most anticipated match of the month-long World Cup, which has brought drama both on and off the field.
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Tuesday’s matchup in Dallas was made special as Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal, two of the most incredible talents in soccer, shared the field.
Mbappe and Yamal have faced each other several times in La Liga’s El Clasico, the famous derby between rival clubs Real Madrid and Barcelona. This time, however, the stage is much bigger and the winner will also receive the prize of fulfilling every soccer player’s dream of playing in the World Cup final.
Here’s what you need to know about France vs. Spain.
Who predicts the winner between France and Spain?
As of Sunday, Opta’s supercomputer gave France a 42.1% chance of winning in regulation time, while Spain had a 31.8% chance of winning.
This model estimates a 26.1% chance that a game will go into overtime.
Where will the Spain vs France semi-final be held?
The first semifinal will be held at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, which has a capacity of 70,649 for the tournament.
It will be the last of nine matches to be held at the venue, the most at this year’s World Cup, which will be held in 16 cities.
France vs Spain: Head-to-head
France and Spain are familiar foes, having played each other 38 times.
In terms of head-to-head results, Spain has an advantage with 18 wins. France have won 13 times, but seven games have ended in draws.
The last time the two sides met was exactly over a year ago in the 2025 UEFA Nations League semi-finals, when Spain defeated France 5-4 in a hard-fought battle, with Yamal scoring twice.
France vs Spain: Last 5 matches
Spain 5-4 France (UEFA Nations League 2025 Semi-Final) Spain 2-1 France (UEFA EURO 2024 Semi-Final) Spain 1-2 France (UEFA Nations League 2021 Final) France 0-2 Spain (International Friendly, 2017) France 1-0 Spain (International Friendly, 2014)
Have France and Spain ever played in a World Cup?
France and Spain have only faced off once at the FIFA World Cup.
It dates back to 2006. That time, France defeated Spain 3-1 in the race for the last 16, thanks to goals from Franck Ribery, Patrick Vieira and the iconic Zinedine Zidane.
France vs Spain in the Euro
France and Spain, two of the strongest teams in European football, have met five times in the European Championship. Both teams won two games each, and one game ended in a draw.
Spain last appeared in the UEFA Euro competition in 2024, when Spain defeated France 2-1 in the semi-finals, with goals from Yamal and Dani Olmo.
France and Spain: trophies, medals
World Cup: France (1998, 2018), Spain (2010) Euro: France (1984, 2000), Spain (1964, 2008, 2012, 2024) Olympic Gold Medal: France (1984), Spain (1992, 2024)
Who are the key players in France?
Mbappé is France’s most lethal scoring weapon in this tournament, leading the race for the Golden Boot with eight goals and three assists.
Ousmane Dembele (5 goals) and Michael Oliseh (5 assists) also performed well on the offensive side.
Who are Spain’s key players?
Real Sociedad’s underrated striker Mikel Oyarzabal was Spain’s top scorer in this tournament with four goals.
Mikel Moreno (2 goals) and Marc Cucurella (2 assists) have also had an impact, with Yamal scoring one goal so far and slowly recovering.
France: strengths and weaknesses
France’s strength lies in their extremely powerful and enviable attack, centered around the trio of Bradley Barcola, Dembele and Oliseh, and spearheaded by their main striker Mbappé.
In the group stage, France showed weaknesses in defense, conceding goals to Senegal and Norway, but since then they have kept a clean sheet in all three matches in the finals.
Spain: strengths and weaknesses
Although they have brilliant attacking power, Spain’s strength is their solid defense. Spain have conceded just one goal in five games, but that came against Belgium in the quarter-finals.
Offensively, the team has looked sluggish and uncreative for some time and has yet to reach top gear.
They needed a late goal from substitute Merino to win the last two finals, but their usual hero, Yamal, entered the World Cup with an injury and is yet to reach his full potential that led Spain to Euro 2024 success.
