The Collision Everyone Wanted
The 2026 World Cup has its blockbuster. Unbeaten Spain will face tournament favourites France in the first semifinal on Tuesday in the Dallas area, after both sides survived contrasting quarterfinal tests. France dismantled Morocco 2-0 in Boston with a second-half burst from Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, while Spain needed Mikel Merino’s 88th-minute winner to see off a stubborn Belgium 2-1 at SoFi Stadium.
It is a meeting of the tournament’s two outstanding teams, and one with rich recent history. Spain beat France in the semifinals of Euro 2024 on their way to the title, and Les Bleus have been waiting two years for a shot at revenge. Since the quarterfinal bracket first took shape, this was the tie the draw seemed destined to deliver.
Contrasting Paths, Matching Pedigree
Spain arrive as the only unbeaten side left in the tournament, with a defence that has conceded just twice all summer and an attack orchestrated by Lamine Yamal, who has been sparkling since the group stage. Luis de la Fuente has also discovered an unlikely talisman in Merino, whose late winners in consecutive knockout rounds have papered over the one flaw in Spain’s campaign: a tendency to leave it late against packed defences.
France counter with the most in-form attacker on the planet. Mbappe has been rewriting records since the group stage, and his 20 World Cup goals now sit one behind Lionel Messi’s all-time mark — a record he could equal or break on Tuesday. With Dembele’s five goals alongside him and a third consecutive semifinal secured, Didier Deschamps’ side have the pedigree and the firepower to end Spain’s perfect run.
The Other Half of the Draw
The second semifinal will be decided on Saturday, when the remaining quarterfinals are played. Norway meet England at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, where Erling Haaland’s history-makers face Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions, before defending champions Argentina take on Switzerland at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. The winners will meet in the second semifinal on Wednesday, with the final at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, July 19.
Whatever happens in Saturday’s ties, Tuesday’s meeting in Dallas already feels like a final arrived early. Spain’s control against France’s chaos, Yamal against Mbappe, Euro 2024’s champions against the World Cup’s most decorated modern power — the 48-team World Cup has taken plenty of criticism this summer, but its final week has delivered a matchup worthy of any era. The winner will start the final as favourite, and few would bet against either.
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