Updated July 14, 2026, 2:31 p.m. ET
Editor’s note:Follow France vs. Spain World Cup semifinal LIVE
Day 34 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup brings us the first of two scintillating semifinals. France meets Spain at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, in one of the most stacked semifinal matchups in recent memory.
The winner faces the winner of Wednesday’s Argentina-England semifinal in the final at MetLife Stadium on July 19.
All times Eastern and accurate as of Thursday, July 13, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.
Semifinal: Spain vs France
Time/TV: 3:00 PM ET on Fox at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas
Why watch: Most pre-tournament prognosticators either had Spain or France as the favorites to win this World Cup. These two countries have done little to dispel those predictions so far. France has bulldozed its way to the semis, destroying everyone in its path. Spain’s journey has been a little more complicated, but it’s ended up here all the same. Now two of Europe’s most talented teams square-off in what should be a fascinating matchup. The last time these two faced off, it ended in a nine-goal thriller with La Roja topping Les Bleus, 5-4, in the UEFA Nations League back in June of 2025. With the amount of elite talent on the field in Texas, there’s reason to believe we’re in for another instant classic.
Why it could disappoint: The World Cup is not the Nations League. When the pressure increases, the likelihood of another nine-goal shootout happening decreases. Spain has only conceded once the entire tournament and loves to slow the tempo of their matches to a crawl. If they are able to control possession and make France chase the ball, it’s very unlikely we see the same back-and-forth chaos of a year ago. As always, the first goal will set the tone and dictate what type of match we see. The longer this goes scoreless, the less entertaining it will be.
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