Spain face France in World Cup semifinal on Bastille Day with history and revenge on the line
On Bastille Day, Kylian Mbappé's France seeks revenge against Lamine Yamal's Spain in a blockbuster World Cup semifinal (21:00). Spain won their last two semifinal meetings, but France arrives unbeaten with Mbappé topping the scoring charts on eight goals.
A rivalry renewed
Spain and France meet in the second World Cup semifinal of the 2026 tournament on Tuesday evening. The match falls on Bastille Day, France's national holiday, and carries the weight of recent history: Spain knocked France out in the semifinals of Euro 2024 and then beat them 5-4 in the Nations League semifinals. Luis de la Fuente's side has not lost in this World Cup, nor have Didier Deschamps' men, setting up a clash between two unbeaten European heavyweights.
Nobody plays us face to face. Everyone sits back. We have no fear of France. We've come for this and now it's time to think about them. Either they reach three finals or we beat them three times.
- Spain defeats France to reach the final.
- Spain wins 5-4 in a dramatic encounter.
- Spain and France face each other again with a place in the final at stake.
French firepower
France's attack is the most potent in the tournament. Kylian Mbappé leads the scoring charts with eight goals, moving him to within one of Lionel Messi's all-time World Cup tally. Behind him, Michael Olise has delivered five assists, putting him one short of Pelé's record for a single tournament, and Ousmane Dembélé, the reigning Ballon d'Or holder, has added five goals and two assists. "The winner of this semifinal will be world champion," said Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois after his own team's quarterfinal exit.
- Mbappé goals
- 8
- Dembélé goals
- 5
- Olise assists
- 5
Spain's silent engine and the Yamal factor
Fabián Ruiz, who lost his starting place after an opening defeat to Cape Verde but returned to score against Belgium in the quarterfinals, said the squad's unity is their greatest weapon. "The key is in the two areas," Ruiz noted, pointing to efficiency at both ends of the pitch. The midfield anchor also spoke about his personal milestone of retiring his mother from her cleaning job, a motivation he carries onto the pitch. Lamine Yamal, who turned 19 on Monday, has yet to explode in the tournament. Coach Luis de la Fuente urged calm: "Above all, remove the anxiety, let him enjoy football as he knows how. I repeat that his great day is yet to come in the World Cup. I hope it is tomorrow, and if not, in the final, if we can pass." Yamal himself declared he expects "a special day."
Closing old wounds
For many Spaniards, the semifinal is also about settling older accounts. Manuel Sarabia, a super-sub in Spain's Euro 1984 final defeat to France, where goalkeeper Luis Arconada let a critical goal slip, called for vindication. "Let them beat France for Arconada and for the most unfair goal in football history," Sarabia said. That 1984 final, and a painful 1934 World Cup elimination against Italy, remain etched in collective memory, adding an emotional layer to an already charged contest.
