The first semifinal of the 2026 World Cup has been set, with France reaching it first after beating Morocco, while Spain joined them after defeating Belgium. Now, a place in the final will be on the line.
This match is scheduled for Tuesday, July 14. What comes after this match is the biggest prize in international soccer, as the winner will advance to the final with the chance to lift the trophy.
Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET at Dallas Stadium, where the 80,000-seat venue is ready for another spectacular atmosphere. It will host its ninth match of the tournament after Spain’s victory over Portugal was the most recent match.
Their previous matches
The paths taken by these teams to reach the semifinals have not been very different. They were able to win their groups as France finished first by winning all three of their matches against Senegal, Iraq and Norway, while Spain drew with Cape Verde before beating Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.
Mbappé scored the first goal of his team in the quarterfinals (Molly Darlington/Getty Images)
France reached the semifinals after cruising past Sweden 3-0 in the Round of 32, edging Paraguay 1-0 in the Round of 16 and then defeating Morocco 2-0 in the quarterfinals.
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Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé produce remarkably similar performances at the 2026 World Cup within the span of just three days
Spain are in the semifinals after beating Austria 3-0 in the Round of 32, then struggling to beat Portugal 1-0 with a late goal by Mikel Merino before repeating that late drama with a 2-1 victory against Belgium.
Their furthest World Cup run
France are two-time World Cup champions, having lifted the trophy in 1998 and 2018, while also finishing as runners-up in 2006 and 2022, while Spain won their only title in 2010.
