
A huge match was expected in the 2026 World Cup semifinals, and France and Spain delivered as they battled for a place in the final.
The expectations are high because France have not faced many obstacles in the competition so far, winning all six of their matches convincingly. A victory would send them to their fifth World Cup final.
Spain had a slower start to the tournament, but they found their best form as the competition progressed, winning every match after drawing with Cape Verde. They are looking to reach their second World Cup final after lifting the trophy in their first appearance in one.
Six minutes of stoppage time
45' The referee added six minutes of stoppage time.
Kylian Mbappé denied by Unai Simón for France
41' A long pass found Kylian Mbappé, who was offside but it was not called. Unai Simón came out well outside his box and prevented the danger.
Fabián Ruiz's shot is blocked for Spain
38' A one-two between Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo left a pass back to Fabián Ruiz, whose shot was blocked and went out for a corner.
Pedro Porro's long-range shot goes wide for Spain
37' Pedro Porro tried a shot from distance, but it went well off target.
Bradley Barcola's shot goes over the bar for France
36' Bradley Barcola received the ball on the left, cut inside, and fired a shot that went over the bar.
Dani Olmo's long-range shot goes wide for Spain
33' Dani Olmo took a shot from distance, but it went well wide of the goal.
Marc Cucurella receives a yellow card for Spain
31' Marc Cucurella was shown a yellow card for a foul on Michael Olise.
William Saliba replaced by Maxence Lacroix for France
30' William Saliba was unable to continue and was replaced by Maxence Lacroix for France.
William Saliba receives medical attention for France
28' William Saliba stopped play by holding the ball and asking for medical attention.
The match resumes
26' The match restarted after the hydration break.
Hydration break
23' The referee stopped the match for a hydration break.
GOAAAAAAL Mikel Oyarzabal gives Spain the lead
21' Mikel Oyarzabal struck a powerful left-footed shot across goal and scored.
Lamine Yamal wins a penalty for Spain
19' Marc Cucurella sent in a cross that Lucas Digne tried to clear, but Lamine Yamal got in the way and the referee awarded a penalty.
France remain dangerous on the counterattack
15' The match has a slow pace so far, but France are very dangerous whenever they recover the ball.
Álex Baena's free kick is blocked for Spain
10' Surprisingly, Álex Baena took the free kick instead of Lamine Yamal, but his shot hit the wall.
Dani Olmo wins a free kick for Spain
8' Spain were awarded a free kick after Dani Olmo was fouled near the edge of the box by Adrien Rabiot, who gets a yellow card.
Adrien Rabiot's shot goes wide for France
6' A long rebound from a corner fell to Adrien Rabiot, who hit a first-time shot that went well wide.
Spain control possession while France wait to counterattack
4' Spain keep the ball, but France are ready to launch quick counterattacks.
Unai Simón and Spain's early mistake
1' Unai Simón tried a risky move and misplaced a pass to Pedro Porro, but it did not lead to anything.
Kickoff
The match between France and Spain begins.
The referees
The referees for this match are Iván Barton (Referee - El Salvador), David Moran (Assistant Referee 1 - El Salvador), Antonio Pupiro (Assistant Referee 2 - Nicaragua), Glenn Nyberg (Fourth Official - Sweden), Mahbod Beigi (Reserve Assistant Referee - Sweden), Tomasz Kwiatkowski (Lead VAR - Poland), Dennis Higler (Assistant VAR - Netherlands) and Guillermo Pacheco (Support VAR - Mexico).
The next rival
The winner of this match will play Argentina or England in the final, which would be the fifth for France after winning in 1998 and 2018 and finishing as runners-up in 2006 and 2022, and the second for Spain, who won their only previous final in 2010.
Their campaigns
France are in this round after a perfect tournament that began with victories over Senegal, Iraq and Norway to finish first in Group I before beating Sweden 3-0, Paraguay 1-0 and Morocco 2-0. Spain also finished first in Group H with a draw against Cape Verde and victories over Saudi Arabia and Uruguay before beating Austria 3-0, Portugal 1-0 and Belgium 2-1.
Confirmed lineups
France: Maignan; Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Digne; Tchouameni, Rabiot; Dembele, Olise, Barcola; Mbappe.
Spain: Simon; Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Ruiz; Yamal, Olmo, Baena; Oyarzabal.
The stadium
The venue for this match is Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, United States. It has a capacity of 80,000.
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