France vs. Spain: La Roja "will need to be a lot better" to stand chance of beating 'favourites' in 2026 World Cup semi-final

Ahead of Spain's 2026 World Cup semi-final against France, Sports Mole's Football Editor Matt Law discusses La Roja's chances of success.

Matt Law, Football Editor: "These are due shot matches"

I was devastated erstwhile Senne Lammens made that mistake. What a subordinate helium was for Man United past season. You had to consciousness for him. 

I'm sure a batch of rival fans wouldn't have felt for a Manchester United player, but that's how it works. I deliberation it was an awkward crippled for Spain, probably more awkward than a batch of radical expected. 

I deliberation Belgium person been amended than a batch of radical thought they would be. I don't think however hard they made it was peculiarly surprising, but it was awkward for Spain and it wasn't that pretty. 

The statistic suggest Spain deserved to triumph and I definitely feel that way. You can generally tell when you ticker a shot match who's the amended broadside and who deserves to win, and I haven't seen a beardown argument that Belgium deserved to travel retired connected top. 

Spain volition request to beryllium better. They volition request to beryllium a batch amended than they were against Belgium if they are to person a accidental of overcoming France. 

Interestingly, a batch of the players progressive successful that Euros semi-final betwixt these teams volition beryllium progressive successful this crippled arsenic well. 

Talking astir players that mightiness start: Simon successful goal, Laporte successful the mediate of the defence. Will it beryllium the aforesaid midfield? Ruiz got the motion successful that game. 

It would beryllium a large telephone to permission Pedri retired of this team. You fancy Pedri volition travel backmost into the side, but Fabian Ruiz was 1 of Spain's amended players past clip retired against Belgium, so that's a large call. 

Yamal and Morata led the enactment connected that Euros occasion. Now it'll be Oyarzabal. Nico Williams came disconnected the seat against Belgium, which was bully to spot fixed his fittingness problems past season, truthful it would be a large surprise to spot him start. 

From France's constituent of view, Tchouameni looks like he's going to beryllium okay, which is simply a large boost for them. I deliberation France win this game. 

I'm not definite what being the champion squad adjacent means anymore. I spot a batch of radical saying Spain are the champion team, but France have got the champion player, and I think it's even successful presumption of quality. Mbappe has been amended than Yamal astatine this World Cup. That's just the mode it is. 

He's contributed more. Yamal has been a bit iffy, with his fittingness problems earlier the tournament. But he remains an elite endowment that could person a immense accidental connected this game. 

I conscionable deliberation France are going to beryllium excessively strong. Spain volition person tons of the ball. 

But deliberation astir the players successful the last 3rd for France, and Spain's defending. They conceded that long-awaited extremity past clip out. 

Belgium were good successful that game. They caused problems successful the wide areas and made it hard for Spain. 

If you truly enactment the unit connected these centre backs, Cubarsi has had a fantastic tourney for Spain, but you tin get astatine this defence if you person the players to bash it. 

And which is probably the only squad successful this World Cup that person the tools each implicit their onslaught to upset Spain? It's probably France, if we're being wholly honest. 

These are due shot matches, the ones you privation to see. That's no disrespect to the different nations who person done really well at the tournament, but you privation to spot these heavyweight clashes. 

That's why I wanted to spot England and Argentina arsenic well, alternatively than England and Switzerland. 

No disrespect to Switzerland, but astatine the semi-finals of a World Cup you privation to spot the large teams, the large players, the large personalities travel up against each other. 

Yamal versus Mbappe, each these broadside stories. It's going to beryllium a fantastic occasion. But Spain volition request to beryllium a batch amended than they were successful the past round.