France vs Spain - prediction, team news, lineups | World Cup 2026

Set for their 3rd consecutive World Cup semi-final, two-time winners France indispensable conquer European champions Spain to scope this year's decider.

The acquainted brace conscionable again connected Tuesday, and whichever broadside wins their showdown successful Dallas volition beforehand to the final, wherever either England oregon Argentina await.

Match preview

Long established adjacent the apical of planetary football's foodchain, France are aiming to go conscionable the 3rd squad to scope 3 successive World Cup finals, pursuing successful the footsteps of accepted giants Germany and Brazil.

So acold this summer, six consecutive wins person seen Les Bleus comfortably apical Group I, past destruct Sweden, Paraguay and Morocco, portion scoring 16 goals successful the process.

Having swept the Swedes aside, past survived La Albirroja's 'dark arts' successful the adjacent knockout round, past clip retired they faced down a resolute Moroccan broadside successful Boston.

France whitethorn person missed a fig of chances - astir notably a first-half punishment by Kylian Mbappe - but their skipper past scored a superb opener earlier mounting up Ousmane Dembele to enactment the quarter-final necktie beyond doubt.

A potent beforehand 4 featuring that pair, positive Michael Olise and either Bradley Barcola oregon Desire Doue, has proven susceptible of unlocking the astir stubborn defences.

Usually a cautious coach, Didier Deschamps is relaxing the reins a small for his last tourney successful charge, with the curtain soon acceptable to autumn connected his singular 14-year stint.

As good arsenic captaining the 1998 squad that lifted the trophy location turf, Deschamps volition present negociate his 26th World Cup match, surpassing Helmut Schon's longstanding record. 

In immoderate respects, past volition beryllium connected his broadside this Bastille Day, arsenic France person progressed from each of their past 4 World Cup semi-finals, winning the past 3 without conceding a goal.

Furthermore, Les Bleus bushed Spain successful their lone anterior gathering astatine FIFA's apical tournament, warring backmost from down to triumph 3-1 immoderate 20 years ago.

Still, Spanish fans tin assertion caller precedent favours their team, who person won 7 of their past 10 games against France. 

The astir caller 2 were peculiarly notable: 2-1 successful the semis of Euro 2024, which they went connected to win, and 5-4 astatine past year's UEFA Nations League finals.

Mbappe did people from the spot successful that nine-goal thriller, but Lamine Yamal bagged a brace and Mikel Merino was besides connected people arsenic La Roja knocked their neighbours out.

One twelvemonth on, Merino became the archetypal antheral successful World Cup past to people the victor successful 2 knockout ties arsenic a substitute, mounting up an adjacent bigger showdown with France.

With other clip looming, the super-sub emerged from the seat to bushed Belgium with a precocious onslaught successful Friday's quarter-final, aft Unai Simon's streak of six World Cup cleanable sheets had yet been brought to a halt.

Previously, Luis de la Fuente's broadside had topped Group H and strolled past Austria successful the archetypal knockout round, earlier more Merino magic dumped retired Iberian rivals Portugal successful the past 16.

Reigning European champions, Spain are present preparing for conscionable a 2nd World Cup semi-final - and their archetypal since going each the mode successful South Africa immoderate 16 years ago.

Their caller grounds erstwhile it truly counts is genuinely superb. Since the commencement of Russia 2018, they person mislaid conscionable 1 of 27 large tourney matches, going unbeaten successful the past 14 portion keeping 9 cleanable sheets.

An unheralded younker manager conscionable a fewer years ago, De La Fuente has won 12 of 13 truthful far, making this gathering with the highly decorated Deschamps each the much intruiging.

France World Cup form:

W W W W W W

Spain World Cup form:

D W W W W W

Team News

Though Mbappe was taken disconnected successful the 2nd fractional of France's quarter-final, helium should retrieve from a insignificant ankle sprain successful clip to commencement connected Tuesday. 

Manu Kone was besides withdrawn owed to a genu issue, but that was thought to beryllium a precautionary measure, truthful the Roma midfielder tin vie with Aurelien Tchouameni for enactment should the second implicit his comeback from a thigh injury. 

On 8 goals already, Golden Boot contender Mbappe volition nexus up with Ballon D'Or holder Dembele again - the brace person created 19 chances for 1 different truthful acold this summer.

It remains to beryllium seen whether Doue oregon Barcola joins them and Olise successful the French last 3rd - and Spain's onslaught is not acceptable successful chromatic either.

Mikel Oyarzabal has scored 4 astatine this World Cup and should pb a fluid beforehand line, but Ferran Torres and fit-again brace Nico Williams and Yeremy Pino are each pushing for promotion from the bench.

Meanwhile, midfielders Merino and Pedri besides person beardown claims to start, leaving Fabian Ruiz and Dani Olmo looking implicit their shoulders.

Yamal has yet to replicate his stunning Euro 2024 form, but the teen winger is simply a fixture connected La Roja's close flank, linking up with Pedro Porro, who seems to person won his enactment duel with Marcos Llorente.

France imaginable starting lineup:

Maignan; Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Digne; Kone, Rabiot; Dembele, Olise, Doue; Mbappe

Spain imaginable starting lineup:

Simon; Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Fabian; Yamal, Olmo, Baena; Oyarzabal

We say: France 1-1 Spain (after other time; France triumph connected pens) 

Penalty shootouts aside, Spain are unbeaten successful 36 games - 1 abbreviated of the all-time grounds Argentina acceptable betwixt 2019 and 2022 - but spot kicks could beryllium their downfall erstwhile again.

While they whitethorn predominate the shot and support a fierce French onslaught successful check, La Roja mislaid past year's Nations League connected penalties and person a humanities grounds of 1 triumph from 5 World Cup shootouts.

So, arsenic wide favourites successful Sports Mole's usher to the champion World Cup betting sites, Les Bleus are bound for different final.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.