France have looked the most complete side in this tournament. Didier Deschamps’ men scored freely as they remained defensive, progressing goalless. Kylian Mbappé continues to lead the battle with eight goals, drawing level with Lionel Messi for the Golden Boot race and moving within one goal of Messi’s record of 21 World Cups. Deschamps will reach another milestone by overseeing his 26th World Cup as France coach.
Spain has been on par with France in terms of success. After a slow start with a goalless warm-up against Cape Verde, Luis de la Fuente’s side have impressed with wins over Austria, Portugal and Belgium. Youngster Lamine Yamal has embraced the form despite admitting this is the biggest game of his career, while Mikel Merino has been a hero in knocking off Spain with late goals in successive games.
Ahead of the tournament, French midfielder Adrien Rabiot rejected suggestions of a special plan to ban Yamal, insisting that France should focus on the Spanish army rather than one individual. Spain, meanwhile, remained confident after defeating France in the semi-finals of both the UEFA Euro 2024 and 2025 UEFA Nations League.
The game also features two veterans from around the world who have different goals. Spain are aiming for a World Cup final since winning in 2010, while France are hoping to become the third country after Brazil and Germany to reach three consecutive World Cup finals.
With Mbappé, Yamal, Antoine Griezmann, Pedri, Rodri and several other stars, the semi-final promises high-quality football, impressive tactical battles and great challenges as one of the giants of Europe moves one step closer to World Cup glory.