France and Spain Clash in World Cup 2026 Semifinal Showdown

Spain and France face off in the first semifinal of the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday, July 14, at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas. The match is widely regarded as a 'final ahead of time' given two of the tournament's strongest teams meet for a place in the final on July 19 Source: excelsiormx, elmundoes.

The Match

Kick-off is at 21:00 CEST (14:00 local time) Source: abces, elmundoes. Fans in Spain can watch free-to-air on La 1 or RTVE Play; in Latin America, broadcasts vary by country (e.g., DSports, Canal 5, Caracol) Source: infobae, excelsiormx. The referee is Iván Barton from El Salvador Source: elmundoes, lavozar.

Team Form

• France has won all six matches so far, scoring 16 goals and conceding two. Kylian Mbappé is the tournament's top scorer with eight goals Source: infobae, lavozar.
• Spain has conceded only one goal all tournament, the best defensive record. They beat Belgium 2–1 in the quarterfinals with a late Mikel Merino goal Source: abces, elcolombiano.
• The two sides have met 38 times historically, with Spain winning 18, France 13 Source: hoydo, excelsiormx. In World Cups, their only previous meeting was in 2006, a 3–1 French win Source: heraldomx.

What's at Stake

The winner will face either Argentina or England in the final. France aims for its third consecutive World Cup final; Spain seeks its second final appearance ever Source: lavozar. Coaches Luis de la Fuente and Didier Deschamps have both emphasized that this is a clash of styles—Spain's possession vs. France's counter-attacking power Source: elcolombiano.