The wait is over. France and Spain, the two highest-ranked sides in Europe and arguably the two best teams left in this World Cup, meet on Tuesday afternoon at the Dallas-area stadium in Arlington with a place in Sunday’s final at stake. It is the matchup neutrals have wanted since the final four took shape last weekend, and it arrives carrying an unmistakable edge.
France Sweat on Four Key Names
Didier Deschamps has selection headaches nobody in the French camp wanted this deep into the tournament. Midfielders Manu Kone, managing physical discomfort, and Aurelien Tchouameni, nursing a groin problem, are both doubtful for the semifinal. More worrying still, defenders Dayot Upamecano and William Saliba sat out Saturday’s training session, with Saliba’s back injury the primary concern. Losing half of a settled spine on the eve of the biggest match of the cycle would test even France’s famous depth.
Spain, by contrast, report a clean bill of health. Luis de la Fuente’s side arrive unbeaten, having conceded barely anything all tournament, and their late show against Belgium in the quarterfinal proved they can win ugly when the occasion demands it.
Mbappe in Full Flight, Yamal Still Waiting
The individual subplot is irresistible. Kylian Mbappe has eight goals in five games and has carried France through the knockout rounds, including the decisive contribution in the quarterfinal win over Morocco. Lamine Yamal, for all his influence in Spain’s build-up play, has just one goal in six matches. Tuesday offers the teenager the biggest stage yet to change that narrative against the country of his birthplace rivals.
History adds spice. The last meeting between these teams, a Nations League semifinal in Germany just over a year ago, finished in an extraordinary 5-4 win for Spain, with Yamal scoring twice. Nobody expects nine goals in a World Cup semifinal, but neither side is built to sit back.
What Awaits the Winner
The prize is a place in the July 19 final at MetLife Stadium against England or Argentina, who meet in Atlanta on Wednesday. For Spain, victory would move them one game from becoming European and world champions simultaneously. For France, it is a shot at a third final in four World Cups, an era of sustained excellence no nation has matched since the great Brazil sides of the past. Kickoff is at 3pm ET, and for once the hype feels entirely justified.
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