The World Cup semifinals are here, and the first matchup is a heavyweight fight between two teams that were picked to be here before the tournament even started. France and Spain square off with a spot in the 2026 final on the line.
Spain hasn’t just been good defensively. They’ve been historically stingy. One goal allowed in six matches. That’s it. Opponents have spent hours trying to break them down and basically nothing has worked. Aymeric Laporte and Pau Cubarsi have turned the backline into a wall.
On the other side, France has been doing the exact opposite. They’ve put 16 goals in the net. Only Argentina with 17 has scored more. Kylian Mbappe leads the charge but it hasn’t been a one-man show. The French attack comes from everywhere.
Here’s the thing. The winner of this game becomes the instant favorite to lift the trophy. No disrespect to Argentina or England, but this feels like the real final happening a round early. France is chasing its third World Cup title after winning in 1998 and 2018. Spain is going for number two, with their only win coming in 2010.
Spain rolls with the same lineup again
Coach Luis de la Fuente isn’t changing anything. The starting 11 that beat Belgium 2-1 in the quarterfinals is back out there. Unai Simon starts in goal. The back four: Marc Cucurella, Laporte, Cubarsi, and Pedro Porro. Midfield features Dani Olmo, Rodri, and Fabian Ruiz. Up top it’s Lamine Yamal, Mikel Oryazabal, and Alex Baena.
Pedri is on the bench again. That’s sparked some discussion online. A talent like that sitting while the team is rolling is a good problem to have but it’s still a talking point. Fans are split on whether he should be in there.
France hasn’t announced their lineup yet but the expectation is Kylian Mbappe leads the line with Antoine Griezmann pulling strings behind him. The midfield battle between France’s physicality and Spain’s possession game is going to decide a lot of what happens.
What to watch for
Spain wants to control the tempo. Slow it down. Make France chase the ball. France wants to turn this into a track meet. Speed in transition. Hit Spain before they get set. Something has to give.
The match is happening now and we’ll keep you posted with live updates as things develop. Goals, cards, subs, big chances. All of it.
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