Spain and France will face off in the first semifinal of the 2026 World Cup, which will determine the first finalist. Considered by many to be the top contender, Luis de la Fuente‘s team is still waiting for Lamine Yamal to showcase his full potential in the remainder of the tournament.
“Yamal? Lamine’s best performance is still to come at this World Cup. He is incredibly motivated—you only have to look at his face. He can’t wait to play. We just need to keep his eagerness under control because he must not be overwhelmed by his emotions,” the manager said to Cadena SER.
Additionally, De la Fuente distinguished him from Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland: “He is going through a process of gaining experience and maturity, something that Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland went through a few years ago. He is at that stage now, and we talk about it a lot. He will be a player who leaves his mark from now until the end of the World Cup.”
Yamal’s numbers so far
Ahead of the World Cup, perhaps few would have predicted that Lamine Yamal would be among the tournament’s biggest stars at this stage. However, his numbers have fallen slightly short of what many expected.
Lamine Yamal of Spain
Although he started the tournament dealing with a physical setback, his minutes on the pitch playing for Spain gradually increased. Across six matches, totaling 406 minutes played, the forward scored just one goal and did not provide any assists.
De la Fuente rejects Spain’s favorite status
Luis de la Fuente knows that the 2026 World Cup semifinal bracket features the tournament’s four best representatives, and all of them are contenders for the title. While Didier Deschamps said that La Roja are the favorites for this semifinal clash, his Spanish counterpart might not share the same view.
“At this stage of any international competition, France, like the other remaining teams, is one of the favourites to win. Reaching the semi-finals of a World Cup is extremely difficult. Every opponent is strong. We, too, are a highly competitive team. A place in the final is very much up for grabs,” he said.
Luis de la Fuente during the training and press conference of Spain one day ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group H match
When and where will Spain vs. France play?
Spain and France go head-to-head in the first semifinal of the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday, July 14. The match will be played at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with kickoff scheduled for 3:00 PM ET. The winner will advance to the final on Sunday, July 19, at New York New Jersey Stadium, while the loser will compete in the third-place playoff.
