Of the four teams left in the World Cup, two of the most feared are about to collide a round early.
The matchup
Spain and France meet in a semifinal on Tuesday at AT&T Stadium near Dallas, with a place in the final at stake, Fox Sports reported. Both arrived among the tournament favorites, which is why the tie has been billed as "the final before the final," the kind of pairing that would not look out of place in the championship match itself.
How they got here
The two took contrasting routes to the last four. Spain edged Belgium 2-1 in its quarterfinal, needing a late goal from substitute Mikel Merino to break the game open at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, Al Jazeera reported. France was more comfortable, beating Morocco 2-0 behind goals from Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé, Al Jazeera reported. Spain has leaned on a miserly defense all tournament; France on a deep, dangerous attack.
Stars and stakes
The star wattage is enormous. France counts on Mbappé, among the tournament's most prolific scorers, while Spain's teenage sensation Lamine Yamal and midfield metronome Pedri have propelled a side that plays with poise beyond its years. The two nations have a recent history, too: Spain beat France in the semifinals of Euro 2024, a match that helped announce Yamal to the world. A rematch on this stage carries an echo of that night.
What's next
The winner moves on to the World Cup final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, against the survivor of the tournament's other semifinal. For now, though, the focus is on Dallas, where a game with the feel of a final will settle which of these two powers gets to play in the real one. Kickoff is Tuesday afternoon Pacific time; for a Los Angeles that has spent the summer immersed in the World Cup, having hosted the match that sent Spain here, it is another appointment to watch.
