France, Spain set to meet in FIFA World Cup semifinal with place in final at stake

France and Spain will face off in the first FIFA World Cup semifinal on Tuesday in Texas, with a place in the tournament final on the line.

According to FIFA tournament records, both nations are appearing in their 17th FIFA World Cup. Despite their long World Cup histories, this will mark only the second meeting between France and Spain in the competition.

France will look to forward Kylian Mbappé to lead its attack. The 2022 World Cup Golden Boot winner has scored eight goals in this tournament and is tied with Lionel Messi in the current scoring race. Mbappé also sits one goal shy of Messi's 21 career World Cup goals.

Spain's campaign has been boosted by rising star Lamine Yamal, who has previously played a key role against France in major international tournaments. Yamal scored in Spain's 2-1 victory over France in the UEFA Euro 2024 semifinal. Spain also defeated France 5-4 in the UEFA Nations League semifinal last year.

Spain won its only FIFA World Cup title in 2010, while France claimed its second World Cup championship in 2018. Tuesday's winner will advance to the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.