France vs Spain live online: score, goals, preview, and highlights | World Cup 2026 semifinals

Race for Golden Boot

It's the most loaded, start studded Golden Boot race maybe ever, and four of the top five goal scorers in the tournament are still alive in the semifinals. Mbappe and Lionel Messi are tied at the top with eight goals, Erling Haaland has seven goals, but just got knocked out by England. Meanwhile England have Harry Kane and and Jude Bellingham at six goals a piece. It’s a who’s who of world class players, and you can only imagine that the eventual winner of the World Cup will be led by one of the guys on this list.

The other semifinal

We have a battle of two European giants in this semifinal match up and the other semifinal is filled with two teams with plenty of history. History in the sense of their countries history in the sport, and history in terms of head to head battles. Argentina and England play tomorrow from Atlanta to decide the second finalist that will be heading to New York/New Jersey on Sunday. They will be watching the first semi today before setting their sight on tomorrow's game.

Final four is the best four

After the biggest World Cup in history, quite literally, we have the field narrowed down to the top four teams in the world. This World Cup has been different. Many thought it would be diluted after organizers expanded the field to 48 teams, 12 groups and threw in an extra round of knockout matches. It has been far from diluted. In fact it has been thrilling. Unknowns making runs deep into the tournament. Small teams taking giants to the finish line. But in the end, it's the four top teams in the world who are the last ones left in the semis. While we enjoy a surprise or two, we want to see the best play the best, and for my money, these are the two dream match ups.

Perfect World Cup winners of past

France have been utterly dominant in this World Cup. Just how dominant? Well they have a chance to join a short list of four teams that have gone undefeated on their way to lifting the World Cup. Mind you, this list doesn't include penalty shootouts. Uruguay did it in the first World Cup ever, winning all of their games to claim the the first star in the history of the competition. Italy did it eight years later and then Brazil did it twice, first in 1970 and then again in 2002. France are 180 minutes away from joining this historic list of dominant World Cup winner.

FIFA World Rankings

If you take a look at the rankings, there is a little bit of a disparity in who the favorites in the odds makers minds are and who the top teams in the world are. According to the FIFA World Rankings, France are the top team in the world after over taking Argentina throughout the course of this tournament. The South Americans have been bumped down to second while Spain is third and England is fourth. It’s what we signed up for isn’t it? The top four teams in the world locking horns in the semifinals as the last four teams standings.

Odds to win it all

And then there were four. These are the four that we expected, and let’s be honest they are the four that we wanted to be at this stage of the tournament. France and Spain came into the tournament as the two favorites but only one of these teams will be moving on to the final. According to Bet365, France are the favorites coming into the semis at +137 while Spain and England are second favorites, with both paying out +333. Argentina are at the bottom of the list paying +450.

Mr. Super Sub

Where would this team be without Mikel Merino? The Arsenal man has started just one of the six matches for Spain. That came against Uruguay. He has come off the bench as a super sub in all of the other matches, and has thrived in his role as savior off the bench in the last two matches. He has played just 9 minutes in the last two games, but won both of the games for Spain first in stoppage time against Portugal and then in the 88th minute to lead Spain past Belgium. He couldn't have any late game heroics in store for today, could he?

Last semifinal match up

If this seems like a familiar semifinal match up, it's because it is. These two teams met in the semifinals of the Euros almost two years ago to the day. On July 9th 2024 Spain and France met in the semis and it was the Spainards who came out on top with a 2-1 win over Les Bleus. Randal Kolo Muani scored for France in the 9th minute but Lamine Yamal leveled the score in the 21st minute and four minutes later Dani Olmo scored the winner to send Spain to the final against England. They also met in the UEFA Nations League semi in what was a thrilling game that the Spaniards won 5-4.

Unai's record

Unai Simon came into this World Cup having started a streak of clean sheets despite getting knocked out of the 2022 World Cup in the round of 16. Simon kept a clean sheet against Morocco but Spain lost in penalties. That clean sheet streak would stretch for five more matches as Spain kept clean sheets in the group stages, and their first two knockout matches. He topped Walter Zing’s record of 517 minutes of scoreless soccer with Italy in 1990, and stretched it all the way to 650 minutes in a record that may not soon be bested.

Unstoppable force vs. Immovable object

It's the classic match up of polar opposites. France are the flashy, attacking, attractive side that has ripped through the competition with 16 goals in six matches. They have their striker who is tied for the top scorer in this tournament with eight of those goals and a Ballon d’Or winner who has another five goals and two assists in Dembele. Meanwhile Olise leads the tournament with five assists. They will be going up against a team that has only allowed one goal in six matches. Spain’s defending in this World Cup has been historic, but they have only scored 11 goals in 6 matches and four came against Saudi Arabia while France has only allowed 2 goals all tournament.

Three peat finalists in World Cups past

We have already talked about how much of a force this France team is in world soccer, especially recently. They have a chance to do something today that only two teams in the history of the World Cup have done. If France beat Spain, they will be heading to their third straight World Cup final. The first team to do so was West Germany back in the 80s and early 90s. They were runners up in 1982 and 1986 before winning it in 1990 for their third World Cup. Brazil took the torch after that tournament, winning the 1994 World Cup in the US before losing to France in the 1998 World Cup. They would get back to the final in 2002 and win for a second time in three tried, when they beat Germany in Yokohama, Japan.

Lamine heats up semi with prematch presser

As if this match needed any more fuel added to the fire, Lamine Yamal might have just given the French a little added motivation after his final press conference before today's match. He asked why France should be the favorites if they haven’t beaten Spain since before the Euros. Those in the France dressing room certainly heard that and will be keeping that in the back of their minds.

World Cup history: France

France, in some ways like Spain hadn't really announced their arrival to the big stage of world soccer until a few decades ago. They had made it to the semis on three occasions, but never made the final. Then, after failing to qualify for the World Cup in 1990 and 1994, France hosted the World Cup. They went from failing to qualify to lifting their first World Cup on their home soil. Since then they have been to three finals winning a second star in 2018 in Russia, and are looking to make it three finals in the last three World Cups with a win today. This has been a very talented team for the last 28 years, but I don’t think we have ever seen a team as talented as this one.

Spain's World Cup history

Spain is often thought of as a super power in the world of soccer, but it hasn’t always been that way. Since 2008 when won their second Euros ever, Spain has put themselves in the elites of the game, but before that they were never considered to be in that conversation. Before their World Cup run in 2010, they had been past the quarterfinal just once, and that came back in 1950. Since then it was disappointment after disappointment as the national team made just three quarterfinal appearances and lost each and every one. Then in 2010 finally they got their first star, but they haven’t been close to sniffing the final since then. They are just one game away from the final, but this will have to be their best game they have played in this tournament since that 2010 run to the final.

STARTING XI France

Didier Deschamps has a luxury of riches to choose from, especially up top. This is who is is going with against Spain in this semifinal. It's Maignan in goal with Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba and Digne on the back line. In the middle it’s  Tchouament, Rabiot with Dembele, Olise, Barcola all free to flow around the attacking midfield as Mbappe looks to get in behind.

The birthday boy's big day

Happy Birthday Lamine Yamal. The Spanish sensation will be a teenager for one more year after turning 19 yesterday, July 13th. In three years with Barcelona he has scored 49 goals and given 45 assists in 151 matches. With the Spanish national team, he has played in 31 matches, scoring 7 goals and dished out 12 assists. At just 19 years of age, he has already won three La LIga titles, a Copa del Rey and the Euros back in 2024. Nothing would make him happier than a goal or two and a trip to the World Cup final as a gift to himself today from Dallas.

Star watch: France

It's hard to pin point where exactly the danger comes from on this France side. They have the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, a goal scorer who cannot stop scoring and is on the verge of becoming the World Cup's all time leading scorer, and a break out sensation that might be the next best and biggest thing to come out of France. Ousmane Dembele, Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise may be the scariest attacking trio the World Cup has ever seen and there has been no stopping them in this tournament. Can they continue to do it against the best defensive team in the tournament?

Star watch: Spain

So far we have yet to see the best version of Lamine Yamal in this World Cup. The teenage sensation that burst on to the international scene at the Euros in 2024 when he was just 16 years old was expected to carry this team in this tournament. He came into the World Cup carrying an injury that kept him from playing many minutes in the first two match, and since then he has been slowly recovering his form. With just 1 goal and no assists to his name Spain fans are hoping that he has been saving the best for the biggest games in this tournament.

How they got here: France

France have looked like the best team in the tournament and it really hasn't been close. Six wins in six matches, and all but one of them in convincing fashion. They started with a 3-1 win over Senegal before smashing Iraq 3-0 and Norway 4-1 to wrap up group stages. Another easy win in the round of 32 with a 3-0 win over Sweden led to a meeting with Paraguay in the round of 16. That was the toughest test for France so far. The humble South American country kept the French attacking under lock and key and an Mbappe penalty was enough see them past Paraguay. Morocco never looked like a threat in the quarters and here they are in the semis. Undefeated and with a style about their play that would scare even the strongest defensive sides.

How they got here: Spain

Spain started this competition awfully slowly. Little did we know the force the Cabo Verde would come to be throughout the tournament, but their 0-0 draw to the tiny African island was a wake up call. They would smooth things over with a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia and then brush by Uruguay in what was a gritty final match of the group stages. A date in the round of 32 against Austria was a tune up for what was to come as they breezed by them 3-0 before things got a little sticky. Portugal took them 90 minutes until Merino scored a stoppage time winner and the same was the case with Belgium.

Starting XI: Spain

Luis de la Fuente has his XI ready for this massive semifinal and he's going with a familiar loo. It’s Unai Simon in goal behind Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella in the back with Rodri, Fabian, Olmo in the middle. Out wide it’s going to be Yamal Baena with Oyarzabal up top.

Last game: France

France played Morocco from Boston and the African side, which was looking for a second straight trip to a World Cup semifinal, held tight for a while, but eventually succumbed to the blistering French attack. Morocco was keeping things awfully compact in the back and France was struggling to find anything of real value in the attacking third. Finally, Kylian Mbappe drew a penalty in the 28th minute, but Morocco keeper Bono saved the spot kick to keep the match deadlocked at 0-0. Mbappe would have his say at the hour mark with a fantastic strike around a defender and past Bono for the first goal of the game. Six minutes later it was Ousmane Dembele double the France lead to seal the match and their place in the semis.

Last game: Spain

For a second straight game it was Spain leaving it late and winning in dramatic fashion to book their spot in the semifinals. A match against Belgium in which they conceded the first goal of the tournament, but they spirit of the Spaniards didn't allow what was a record setting stretch come to and end defeat them. Fabian put Spain up in the first half with a rebounded goal at the 30 minute mark. Charles De Ketelaere evened the score right before the break to send the two teams into the dressing room all square at 1-1. Spain had more possession and more chances in the second half but it took an 88th minute goal from Mikel Merino off another rebound to put Spain through to the semis.

We are live from Texas

Hello everyone and welcome to Dallas where we will find out who will be booking their ticket to the final on Sunday afternoon. France are seeking a third straight World Cup final behind the most potent attacking force potentially ever assembled. There has been no one that can stop this juggernaut led by Didier Deschamps, but today they take maybe the only team that can slow them down. Spain have allowed just one goal during this tournament, but they haven't seen a beast like this four headed monster France have up top. We are set for a chess match. An unstoppable force versus an immoveable object. A clash of the titans from Dallas, and we will be giving you the inside scoop leading up to kick off and keeping you up to date with minute by minute posts all day long.

France vs. Spain live

After 100 matches, we are left we four teams remaining. The semifinals of the World Cup are here and the top four teams on the planet are the last ones standing. In our first semifinal, it's a dream matchup of the top attacking team in the sport taking on a record setting defense for a spot in the final on Sunday. Spain take on France in a battle of European heavyweights and AS English will be with you all night providing live coverage, stats, highlights and analysis.

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