FRA vs ESP, FIFA World Cup 2026 Semi-Final: With France and Spain set to play the high-voltage FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Kylian Mbappe will undeniably be one of the many stars to watch out for. With the Real Madrid striker leading the Golden Boot race currently, with eight goals in six matches in France’s dominant campaign so far, there are still doubts over whether or not he will feature in the high-stakes knockout clash. Will the 27-year-old play in the semi-final?
FRA vs ESP, FIFA World Cup 2026 Semi-Final: Will Kylian Mbappe play in the knockout game against Spain?
In what was a convincing 2-0 victory over Morocco for France in the quarter-final to reach the semi-final, Mbappe had scored a goal in the 60th minute, followed by Ousmane Dembele finding the net in the 66th. Nevertheless, Mbappe had sustained a minor ankle injury during that game and was subbed out in that match apart from being rested partly during the training session on Monday. However, the injury is not serious enough to prevent the youngster from playing in the semi-final.
France manager Didier Deschamps told the reporters the below, as quoted by The Reuters:
“Kylian is fine. Yes, he trained. He is allowed to do 10 minutes in one drill instead of 15.”
FRA vs ESP, FIFA World Cup 2026 Semi-Final: Which team holds the superior head-to-head record?
Having played on 11 occasions in international football, Spain holds an overwhelming record as far as head-to-head contest. Out of 11 matches, Spain have won 7, while France have only won 3, with the remaining one resulting in a draw. The two sides’ only meeting in the FIFA World Cup came in the 2006 edition, locking horns in the Round of 16 match. France were helped by goals from Franck Ribéry, Patrick Vieira, Zinedine Zidane, while Spain scored only one that came from David Villa.
Mikel Oyarzabal remains the key player for Spain, having netted for goals this year, while the young and dynamic Lamine Yamal also looms as a massive threat for France. If Spain wins, it will be their first final appearance since 2010 when they were crowned champions.
With both sides undefeated in the 48-team tournament, the semi-final promises to be a cracking affair.
