Франц болон Испанийн шигшээ багууд ДАШТ-ий хагас шигшээд учраа таарлаа

France have a truly outrageous front line.

Didier Deschamps’ preferred attacking quartet is Kylian Mbappe (eight goals in this tournament), Ousmane Dembele (the reigning world footballer of the year), Michael Olise (one of the standout players at this World Cup) and Desire Doue (scored twice in the 2025 Champions League final).

Their bench is not bad either.

Good luck to Unai Simon, the Spain goalkeeper.

Spain have some wonderful talents of their own, though, including the best teenager in the world, Lamine Yamal. The Barcelona forward helped Spain win the European Championship in 2024 just a day after turning 17. Their midfield is superb, with Rodri pulling the strings and helping Luis de la Fuente’s team pass teams to death on their way to this semi-final.

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This match at Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium pits the two teams at the top of the world rankings against one another, and the winner will face either England or Argentina in the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

We take a closer look at this game and where it might be decided…

What’s the key info I need to know?

Round: World Cup semi-final
World rankings: France (FIFA ranking: 1st) vs Spain (2nd)
Venue: AT&T Stadium, Arlington
Date: Tuesday, July 14
Kick-off: 12pm PT/3pm ET/8pm BST

How did France reach the semi-finals?

With greater ease than anyone else.

Their last-32 tie against Sweden was a 3-0 breeze in which they could have scored another few had the woodwork not been their enemy.

Paraguay proved a tougher nut to crack in the last 16 and managed to rile the French with an unapologetically cynical game plan. But a Mbappe penalty was enough to get the job done in regulation time.

France were felt to not have faced a proper test yet. Morocco were meant to be the team that changed this in the quarter-finals, but they opted for an uncharacteristically conservative approach and barely laid a glove on France, who won 2-0.

They have not conceded a goal in the knockout stage and have not looked like doing so. In the opening group stage game against Senegal, they were far from convincing and, even against a Norway second string, looked too open at the back. They have tightened up as the competition progressed.

Crucially, France arrive at the semi-final stage having not expended any of the emotional energy of the others who have been embroiled in dramatic and prolonged battles.

Jordan Campbell

How did Spain reach the semi-finals?

Spain have won their last two knockout stage games against Portugal, in the last 16, and Belgium, in the quarter-finals, through late Mikel Merino goals off the bench.

Against Portugal, they prevailed 1-0 winners, reaching the quarter-final without conceding a goal. Belgium were the first team able to breach their defence but lost 2-1 after Merino pounced on Senne Lammens’ error in the 88th minute.

They started the tournament frustratingly when Cape Verde and Vozinha held them to a goalless draw, but Spain went on to top Group H with wins over Saudi Arabia (4-0) and Uruguay (1-0).

Their round-of-32 opponent, Austria, provided no real challenge, as they eased to a 3-0 victory. Mikel Oyarzabal got his second brace of the tournament against Austria, having also scored a double against Saudi Arabia.

Eduardo Tansley

How to watch on TV

United States: 3pm ET / 12pm PT: Fox (English), Telemundo / Peacock (Spanish)
Canada: 3pm ET / 12pm PT: CTV, TSN / RDS (French)
Mexico: 1pm CST: TelevisaUnivision / TV Azteca, with streaming on ViX
United Kingdom: 8pm BST: ITV1 and ITVX

What should we expect from France?

A less philosophical approach than Spain. While the opposition operate in a strict system with a religious commitment to possession and pressing, France are happy to adapt depending on what the game demands.

It is what makes them so dangerous and difficult to stop.

Sit off them and the front four of Mbappe, Olise, Dembele and Doue will pick holes where you thought there were none. Try to press them and they will tear you open with two passes through the middle. Take the game to them and they will kill you on the break.

Mbappe and Dembele celebrate a goal against Sweden in the round of 32 (Reuters/John Sibley)

They appear to have the answers to every equation, but they are playing a more expansive game than in the last three editions.

Deschamps has found a way of platforming four attackers by having Adrien Rabiot and Manu Kone protecting the midfield behind them. So far, it has not posed them many problems, but against Spain, they will need to find the perfect balance.

Jordan Campbell

What should we expect from Spain?

Passes, and lots of them.

No team have averaged a greater share of possession across their six games so far at this World Cup (65.8 per cent). They had even more of the ball in Qatar in 2022 (76.5 per cent), and also led the way in Russia eight years ago.

Such a patient approach is embedded in Spain’s identity — they will look to control the flow of the game with the ball at their feet, pen their opponents back, and try to counter-press aggressively and win the ball straight back the second that they lose it.

All of that has led to a solid, if yet unspectacular route through the tournament, conceding only once along the way and winning three of their games by a single goal. Rodri has shone at the heart of midfield, his innate sense of positioning and quality on the ball keeping them ticking in the final third.

Rodri has been essential to Spain’s passage through the tournament (Reuters/Carlos Barria)

Full-backs Marc Cucurella and Pedro Porro have both pushed high and kept their wingers supplied, while Yamal’s threat has simmered, yet to truly bring his game-breaking talents to this World Cup.

Spain’s ambitious high line has yet to be truly tested by a clinical centre-forward; how they deal with the pace of Mbappe could make or break this game.

Thom Harris

Who is the star player for each team?

Mbappe is the obvious star man for France, with eight goals being the joint-highest in the tournament. However, French fans could feasibly make a case that Olise has been the man most indispensable this summer.

Olise glides past a Paraguay challenge (Imagn Images via Reuters/Kyle Ross)

Olise’s ability to glide across the pitch makes him one of the most aesthetically pleasing players to watch in the world, but there is an end product to his game that few opponents can live with. His five assists are more than any player in the tournament, but his punched balls between the opposition lines have been enough to knock most sides onto the canvas.

Only Lionel Messi (15) has attempted more through balls than Olise’s 14, with no player completing more than his seven. Mbappe will rightfully get the headlines, but Olise has been powering France’s attack.

For Spain, it is difficult to look beyond Yamal as the jewel in Spain’s crown. The teenager continues to look at home on the biggest international stage, even if he has not reached the goalscoring numbers of his fellow elite global stars.

Yamal celebrates his goal against Saudi Arabia at Atlanta in the group stage (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

In truth, Spain’s biggest strength is their collective unit, but Rodri’s fingerprints have been all over anything they do well in and out of possession. A tempo-controller on the ball and an aggressive counter-presser off the ball, the 30-year-old is hitting the levels that we saw prior to his season-ending ACL injury in 2024.

Mark Carey

Is there any history in this match-up?

France will become only the second European nation to reach three successive World Cup finals if they overcome Spain, but it is De la Fuente’s side who have had the upper hand in their two most recent meetings.

Last year, Spain defeated France 5-4 in an exhilarating Nations League semi-final in which they led 4-0 and were very nearly reeled back in.

Yamal and Nico Williams celebrate during their Nations League final win in 2025 (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

At Euro 2024, they also emerged the victors, coming from behind to win 2-1 and seal their place in the final.

France have had their own momentous victories. In 1984, they beat Spain in the European Championship final and came out on top in the 2021 Nations League final.

The only World Cup meeting between the nations came in 2006 when Zinedine Zidane inspired France to a 3-1 victory.

Spain holds the lead in the overall head-to-head record with 18 wins compared to France’s 13, alongside seven draws.

They have the momentum from the past meetings, but this is a France team that has rapidly evolved and has become more adventurous since Spain’s breakthrough in 2024.

Jordan Campbell

Where will the game be won and lost?

Spain are likely to dominate possession to maximise control in the game, but that may play into the hands of France’s greatest strength at times.

The breakneck speed with which France can spring forward is a potent weapon that they have not been shy in using this summer. Their 32 direct attacks (a proxy of counter-attacking play) is already more than their previous four major tournaments dating to the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Even adjusting for minutes played, that rate of 5.3 direct attacks per 90 remains the highest.

A neat example of their devastating counter-attack was Bradley Barcola’s goal against Sweden in France’s last-32 clash. After Aurelien Tchouameni recovered the ball on the halfway line, a simple pass to Olise then released Barcola to finish at the near post within seconds of recovering possession.

Thankfully for Spain, they have been one of the best counter-pressing sides in the tournament this summer.

As The Athletic recently analysed, their defensive strength has been built upon excellent recovery work to sustain attacks and keep the opposition far from goal on the rare occasion they do give up possession.

As shown below in their clash with Austria, Yamal loses the ball in the penalty area, but midfielder Rodri is quick to hound Marcel Sabitzer and regain the ball in seconds — with four Spanish team-mates congregated around him in support to keep those spaces tight and suffocate the opposition.

With so much individual talent on show, this game is likely to be decided by Spain’s counter-pressing to nullify France’s counter-attacking threat.

Mark Carey

Who do our experts think will win?

Colin Millar: France 2, Spain 1 (after extra-time). The tournament’s best two teams. Spain’s connections, rhythm and control of both possession and territory are a step above anyone else in the tournament, but their key attackers, notably Yamal, are lacking form and full fitness. This is a Spain side who have lost some of their sparkle from their European Championship win two years ago, while France have blown away their opposition to date.

Eduardo Tansley: France 2, Spain 1. We saw Morocco try to nullify France with possession and it didn’t work. France’s performances have been too convincing and their attack too fluid to bet against them.

Mark Carey: France 2, Spain 1. I think Spain will try to control the tempo of the game as much as they can, but the attacking firepower of France’s front four will prove too devastating.

Thom Harris: France 1, Spain 1 (after extra-time). Spain should be able to keep France at arm’s length with the ball at their feet. I see a moment of magic from both Mbappe and Yamal, before penalties decide their fate. France will make it through!

Amelie Claydon: France 2, Spain 1. Spain will probably have more of the ball, but that should suit France. Their full-backs push high and their midfielders commit numbers ahead of the ball, leaving space for France to attack as soon as possession changes hands. France do not need to dominate possession to control the direction of a game. They are comfortable absorbing pressure and waiting for the moment when Spain overcommit.

Nick Miller: France 2, Spain 1 (after extra-time). If anyone has a good enough defence to stop France, it’s Spain, who have only conceded once in the tournament so far. But even they won’t be able to completely hold off Mbappe, Olise, Dembele and the ‘lobster thermidor or wagyu steak’ choice between Doue and Barcola. I think this will be the tightest game either will play — including the final — and much higher quality than their semi-final at Euro 2024, when France were weirdly, crushingly dull. I’ll say France with a late Mbappe winner.

Dermot Corrigan: France 2, Spain 1. Spain’s chances in this game rely on their midfield — led by Rodri — dominating possession so they can keep the ball away from France’s tremendous attackers. I can definitely see Spain outnumbering and outplaying France in central areas to have more of the ball, but it’s more difficult to see their attack really hurting Les Bleus’ defence. Mbappe, Olise and Dembele are playing so well that over the 90 minutes, logic says they will have enough opportunities to send France through to another final.

Charlie Scott: France 2, Spain 3. Surely one of us has to back Spain?! Yamal scores twice in a performance for the ages and Unai Simon has a ridiculous game in goal for Spain. Mbappe and Dembele both find the back of the net for France.

How might they line up?

Tell me one thing about France that’s going to make me look clever to my friends

Mbappe scored an incredible opening goal in France’s quarter-final clash with Morocco last week, opening his body up to finish beyond Yassine Bounou to the far post.

It is one of Mbappe’s biggest strengths to be able to switch between a near-post and far-post finish depending on the situation — a skill he has developed since earlier in his career.

When he gets himself into his favoured left zone of the pitch (see below), seven of his efforts have gone to the far post and six have gone to the near post, with an unpredictability that can leave goalkeepers guessing until the very last second.

Contrast that with France’s right zone, where left-footed Olise and ambipedal Dembele typically reside, and a more predictable pattern emerges. Both tend to opt for a far-post finish when unleashing their efforts, and considering their success rate when they do, you can understand why.

If Spain’s Unai Simon is looking to play the percentages, he can be confident that France’s left-footers are going to shoot across goal when he is making a save.

When the ball is on Mbappe’s side, Simon might just have to pray that the goalkeeping gods are looking down favourably on him when France’s captain shapes to release his shot.

Mark Carey

Tell me one thing about Spain that’s going to make me look clever to my friends

Keep an eye out for Spain’s cutbacks against France.

With opponents often sitting deep against De la Fuente’s side, there is rarely space that opens up in central areas, meaning Spain are frequently tasked with going around the defensive block when they cannot go through it.

Their 14 chances created via cutbacks is the most of the remaining nations in the tournament, and has brought them a goal after Alex Baena’s pulled pass found Porro during Spain’s last-16 clash with Austria.

France are more likely to go toe-to-toe with Spain on Tuesday evening, meaning there might be more space to exploit through the heart of the pitch.

However, on the occasions when Spain do pin their opponent back and look to create, do not be surprised to see them reverse a pass backwards to find a free man when all others converge towards France’s goalmouth.

Mark Carey

Who is the referee?

If a referee can ever ‘shoot to fame’, the official in charge of the first World Cup semi-final between France and Spain certainly had a shot at becoming an overnight sensation earlier in the tournament.

Ivan Barton, from El Salvador, became the first referee to send off a player under the new law barring them from covering their mouths while confronting an opponent.

After watching the incident at the pitchside monitor, Barton returned to the field and delivered his verdict to Miguel Almiron with considerable gusto.

“After review! Number 10! Paraguay! Cover his mouth! Decision is red card!”

(Reuters/Darren Yamashita)

Almiron’s dismissal aside, Barton has kept a low profile in draws between Japan and Sweden in the group stage, and Switzerland and Colombia in the first knockout round.

This is his second World Cup. His games in Qatar included Germany’s shock defeat to Japan and England’s 3-0 win over Senegal in the round of 16.

While his card count is normally around average, Barton reduced the U.S. men’s national team and Mexico to nine men each in a 16-minute spell late in their 2023 CONCACAF Nations League semi-final. He then called time early due to homophobic chanting in the crowd.

He will be hoping for a quieter time of it on Tuesday and I wish him well, while secretly hoping he has to overturn a decision so we get to hear another on-field announcement.

Graham Scott

Who will the winners play?

The victors in Arlington will face whoever wins the other semi-final between world champions Argentina and England at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Wednesday at 12pm PT/3pm ET/8pm BST.

That final will be played at MetLife Stadium in New York, New Jersey on Sunday, July 19, with kick-off at 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 8pm BST.

Essential reading before kick-off