The first semifinal of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will feature the clash of the two most dominant teams of the tournament so far, with the winner facing either England or Argentina in the finals.
Quick summary – click for full detailsConcise summary of key highlights
FIFA World Cup 2026 | Spain and France renew European rivalry on the World Cup stage
In one lineSpain and France face off in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals, renewing a fierce European rivalry.Key points• Spain’s unbeaten runSpain reached the semi-finals unbeaten, conceding only one goal in the entire tournament before the semi-final.• France’s dominanceFrance has reached the semi-finals for the third consecutive World Cup, showcasing depth and attacking power.• Tactical clashSpain’s 4-2-3-1 formation prioritises defensive solidity, while France’s 4-1-3-2 could add extra attacking threat.• Historic rivalryA rematch of the Euro 2024 semi-finals, this clash could decide a spot in the World Cup final.• Key playersSpain’s Mikel Oyarzabal and France’s Kylian Mbappé are set to be decisive in the semi-final showdown.Key statistics1Goals conceded by Spain in the tournament3Consecutive World Cup semi-finals reached by France0-0Spain’s group stage draw against Cape VerdeProcessed with AI. Reviewed by DH Digital Team.
Spain arrived unbeaten until manager Luis de la Fuente, having displayed their remarkable defensive organisation and possession ability. La Roja’s first goal conceded in the competition came just recently in the quarterfinals against Belgium, who they beat 2-1 in a thrilling last-minute game-winner.
France overcame a strong African side in Morocco 2-0 to pave their path to the third consecutive semifinal at the FIFA World Cup. Les Bleues’ squad looks stronger than ever with depth across every position on the pitch and an attacking firepower comparable to none.
Recent form
Spain’s group stage started with a shock draw against Cape Verde, where no goals were scored from both sides. They bounced back against Saudi Arabia with a commanding 4-0 victory and persisted against South American giants Uruguay 1-0.
The round-of-32 seemed a breeze for the Spanish, as they took down Austria 3-0. Facing Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo in the round-of-16, the game seemed tense and momentum varied every minute, but Mikel Merino’s last-minute winner sealed their spot in the quarterfinals against Belgium. The Belgian squad were the first to score a goal against the Spanish, but eventually fell 2-1 to them with Merino finding the back of the net in the last minute yet again.
France’s campaign opened with a match against Senegal, where the attacking firepower started to turn its gears. A 3-1 win against the African side and a 2-0 win against Iraq, they faced Norway in the last match of their group stage. A comfortable 4-1 victory against Norway saw them at the top of the group, ready to face Sweden in the round-of-32.
There was no doubt about it as France beat Sweden 3-0, but faced a surprisingly difficult challenge against Paraguay, beating them only 1-0. Their most recent excursion, and a rematch of the 2022 World Cup semi-finals against Morocco swung in their favor, with the frenchmen progressing to the semi-finals.
Formation
Spain, under de la Fuente, have run a 4-2-3-1 for their previous three matches, showing a true defence and midfield-heavy loadout.
With four men in the back – Marc Cucurella, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte and Pedro Porro – the defensive structure has been nearly impeccable. With only one goal conceded in the entire World Cup, La Roja’s backline may be the toughest the French attack will face.
The two defensive midfielders, Rodri and Fabian Ruiz, hold the responsibility of falling back to having six men in defence, countering and outnumbering the four main attackers for France. Otherwise, they are also a crucial part of the midfield contingent, maintaining possession with the three midfielders up front, creating multiple passing triangles to make sure the ball stays with them.
Dani Olmo plays the role of the attacking midfielder, with Lamine Yamal and Alex Baena assisting the possession-based style of play, while also controlling the ball down the flanks as wingers. Mikel Oyarzabal, who has scored 4 goals and had 1 assist, is the lone striker for the Spanish.
France, under Didier Deschamps (who was World Cup-winner as a player in 1998 and manager in 2018) have run the same 4-2-3-1 formation throughout the knockout stages. Against a defensive heavyweight like Spain, however, Les Bleues may want to add to their already threatening attack.
A 4-1-3-2 would give France an extra attacker, adding to attacking midfielder Michael Olise, wingers Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele and golden boot leader Kylian Mbappe. Bradley Barcola could fill the spot up front for the French, already having scored two goals and getting an assist in his World Cup journey.
The four men in the back, Jules Kounde, William Saliba, Dayot Upemecano and Lucas Digne will be aided by defensive midfielder Adrian Rabiot during Spain’s attacks, outnumbering them five to four. During transition or possession. Rabiot, with the help of the three midfielders has all the opportunity to seize control of the ball, possession and passing for the French into the final third.
France will look to progress into their third consecutive FIFA World Cup final, while Spain’s victory will see them return to the finals after a 16-year wait. A rematch of the UEFA Euro 2024 semifinals, France and Spain will definitely keep eyes glued to the screen to see who slots a spot into the World Cup final, and who has to settle for the third-place play-off.