France vs Spain: Preview, Team News and Score Prediction as Mbappe and Yamal Vie for World Cup Final Ticket

Two-time world champions France are set for their third consecutive World Cup semi-final, where they will face European champions Spain for a place in this year's final.

The European powerhouses will clash in Dallas on Tuesday, with the winner advancing to face either England or Argentina.

Firmly established at the pinnacle of international football, France are aiming to become only the third nation, after Germany and Brazil, to reach three successive World Cup finals. Their journey this summer has been flawless, with six straight victories seeing them top Group I before dispatching Sweden, Paraguay and Morocco. Along the way, Les Bleus have scored an impressive 16 goals.

After comfortably seeing off Sweden and navigating the "dark arts" of Paraguay, France faced a determined Moroccan side in Boston. Despite captain Kylian Mbappe missing a first-half penalty, he later redeemed himself with a spectacular opening goal before setting up Ousmane Dembele to seal the quarter-final victory.

France's potent attacking quartet, featuring Mbappe, Dembele, Michael Olise, and either Bradley Barcola or Desire Doue, has proven capable of dismantling even the most organised defences. Coach Didier Deschamps, known for his cautious approach, has seemingly loosened the reins for what will be his final tournament after a remarkable 14-year tenure.

Deschamps, who captained the 1998 World Cup-winning squad, is set to manage his 26th World Cup match, surpassing Helmut Schon's long-standing record. History appears to be on his side, as France have won their last four World Cup semi-finals, keeping a clean sheet in the last three.

Furthermore, Les Bleus emerged victorious in their only previous World Cup encounter with Spain, coming from behind to win 3-1 two decades ago. However, recent history favours Spain, who have won seven of their last 10 meetings with the French.

Their two most recent victories were particularly significant: a 2-1 win in the Euro 2024 semi-finals, a tournament they went on to win, and a thrilling 5-4 victory in last year's UEFA Nations League finals.

A year after that nine-goal thriller, Spain's Mikel Merino made World Cup history by becoming the first player to score the winning goal as a substitute in two separate knockout matches. His late strike against Belgium in the quarter-finals secured the win after Unai Simon's streak of six World Cup clean sheets was finally broken.

Under coach Luis de la Fuente, Spain topped Group H, easily defeated Austria, and then saw Merino's heroics eliminate Iberian rivals Portugal. Now, the reigning European champions are preparing for only their second-ever World Cup semi-final, their first since their triumphant 2010 campaign in South Africa.

Spain's recent tournament record is formidable. Since the start of the 2018 World Cup, they have lost just one of 27 major tournament matches and are currently on a 14-game unbeaten run, which includes nine clean sheets. The tactical battle between the decorated Deschamps and de la Fuente, who has won 12 of his 13 games in charge, adds another layer of intrigue to this heavyweight clash.

Despite being substituted in the quarter-final with a minor ankle sprain, Kylian Mbappe is expected to be fit to start for France. Manu Kone was also withdrawn with a knee issue, but it is believed to be a precautionary measure. He will compete with Aurelien Tchouameni for a spot in midfield, should the latter recover from a thigh injury.

Mbappe, a leading contender for the Golden Boot with eight goals, will once again partner with Ballon d'Or holder Ousmane Dembele. The duo has been prolific, creating 19 chances for each other in the tournament. The final spot in France's attack will likely go to either Desire Doue or Bradley Barcola.

Spain's lineup is also subject to change. Mikel Oyarzabal, with four goals in this World Cup, is expected to lead a fluid front line. However, Ferran Torres, Nico Williams, and Yeremy Pino are all pushing for a starting role. In midfield, the impressive form of Mikel Merino and Pedri puts pressure on Fabian Ruiz and Dani Olmo to retain their places.

While Lamine Yamal has not yet matched the dazzling performances he delivered during Euro 2024, the teenage winger remains a key figure on Spain's right wing. He is expected to link up with Pedro Porro, who appears to have secured the starting right-back position over Marcos Llorente.

France: Maignan; Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Digne; Kone, Rabiot; Dembele, Olise, Doue; Mbappe

Spain: Simon; Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Fabian; Yamal, Olmo, Baena; Oyarzabal

The match will kick off at 10pm East African time on Tuesday and will be live on SuperSport TV.

France 1-1 Spain (France to win on penalties)

Spain boasts an impressive unbeaten streak of 36 matches, excluding penalty shootouts, putting them just one game shy of the all-time record set by Argentina between 2019 and 2022. However, spot-kicks could once again be their undoing.

Although La Roja are likely to control possession and may successfully neutralize France's potent attack, their history in shootouts is a significant concern. They lost last year's Nations League final on penalties and have a poor World Cup record, winning only one of five shootouts.