France and Spain Set for 2026 World Cup Semifinal Clash in Dallas
The semifinal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature a thrilling encounter between two giants of the tournament, France and Spain. Meeting at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday, this match pits the 2018 champions and 2022 finalists France against the reigning European champions Spain.
This showdown also highlights a budding rivalry between Kylian Mbappe, one of the top scorers alongside Lionel Messi, and the young Spanish prodigy Lamine Yamal. Mbappe leads in goals and assists over recent years, but Yamal has had an edge in direct matchups, both for Barcelona and the national team.
The winner moves on to the World Cup final scheduled for Sunday in New Jersey. The losing side will play for third place on Saturday.
Projected Starting Lineups
Goalkeeper: Mike Maignan (16)Defenders: Jules Kounda (5), Dayot Upamecano (4), William Saliba (17), Lucas Digne (3)Midfielders: Aurelien Tchouameni (8), Adrien Rabiot (14)Attacking Midfielders: Ousmane Dembele (7), Michael Olise (11), Desire Doue (20)Forward: Kylian Mbappe (10)
Tchouameni missed the quarterfinal due to a thigh injury but is expected to be ready. Mbappe, who left the Morocco game with an ankle issue, appears fit to start. Coach Didier Deschamps faces a tactical choice: keep the four-forward attack or add another midfielder, possibly Manu Kone or Warren Zaire-Emery, replacing either Doue or Dembele.
Goalkeeper: Unai Simon (23)Defenders: Pedro Porro (12), Pau Cubarsi (22), Aymeric Laporte (14), Marc Cucurella (24)Midfielders: Rodri (16), Pedri (20)Attacking Midfielders: Lamine Yamal (19), Dani Olmo (10), Alex Baena (15)Forward: Mikel Oyarzabal (21)
Spain's main concern is winger Nico Williams, whose hamstring injury kept him out of the Round of 16 and limited him in the quarterfinal. His minutes remain uncertain, so he is unlikely to start. Pedri, who was benched last match, should regain his spot after Fabian Ruiz’s underwhelming performance despite scoring.
Match Prediction
The forecast leans toward a narrow victory for France, predicted at 2-1 over Spain.
Complete World Cup Squads
In the United States, the match will air on FOX with streaming available on fubo, Fox One, and the Fox Sports app or website. Fubo is recommended for live viewing.
Other countries have coverage as follows:
- Canada: TSN channels and streaming via TSN+, RDS app, CTV app
- UK: ITV1, STV Scotland, plus streaming on ITVX and STV Player
- Australia: SBS with SBS On Demand
- India: Unite8 Sports 1 & 2 and streaming on ZEE5
