France vs. Spain projected lineups, starting 11 for World Cup 2026 semifinal match in Dallas

Arguably the two best teams at the 2026 FIFA World Cup will square off in the semifinal round as 2022 finalists and 2018 title-winners France meet defending European champions Spain at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Tuesday.

The matchup brings together budding rivals Kylian Mbappe, joint-leading scorer at the World Cup alongside Lionel Messi, with his young foe Lamine Yamal.

Mbappe has been the far more statistically productive player, logging heaps of goals and assists for both club and country over the years, but the Barcelona teenager has had his number from a wins and losses perspective, both at Barca and with Spain.

The winner of this match will advance to the 2026 World Cup final on Sunday in New Jersey, while the loser must accept the consolation prize of a spot in the third-place match on Saturday.

The Sporting News looks at the projected starting lineups and team news ahead of Saturday's showdown. A reminder that yellow-card accumulation counts have been wiped for the second time, meaning no player can be suspended for the final unless they receive a red card.

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France projected starting 11

(4-2-3-1, right to left): 16. M. Maignan (GK) — 5. J. Kounda, 4. D. Upamecano, 17. W. Saliba, 3. L. Digne — 8. A. Tchouameni, 14. A. Rabiot — 7. O. Dembele, 11. M. Olise, 20. D. Doue — 10. K. Mbappe

• Injured: Tchouameni (thigh, doubt)
• Suspended: None

Midfield lynchpin Aurelien Tchouameni missed the quarterfinal win over Morocco due to a thigh injury, but according to Loic Tanzi of L'Equipe, the Real Madrid star will be available to start if called upon against Spain. Tanzi reports the same is true for Kylian Mbappe, who came off towards the end of the Morocco win with an ankle injury and was seen with an ice pack on his foot. He should be good to go here.

The biggest tactical question for Didier Deschamps will be whether he wishes to deploy his four-attacker juggernaut lineup against Spain, by far the best team Les Bleus have faced at this tournament. In the past against such possession-oriented opponents, Deschamps has been known to withdraw one forward and install an extra midfielder.

If that happens, either Manu Kone or Warren Zaire-Emery are likely the ones to come in, at the expense of either Desire Doue or Ousmane Dembele.

Spain projected starting 11

(4-2-3-1, right to left): 23. U. Simon (GK) — 12. P. Porro, 22. P. Cubarsi, 14. A. Laporte, 24. M. Cucurella — 16. Rodri, 20. Pedri — 19. Lamine Yamal, 10. D. Olmo, 15. A. Baena — 21. M. Oyarzabal

• Injured: None
• Suspended: None

The biggest question for Spain, as it has been all tournament, is the fitness of winger Nico Williams, who was so effective at Euro 2024 opposite Lamine Yamal but has been hampered at the World Cup by a hamstring injury.

Williams missed the Round of 16 win over Portugal entirely after aggravating it in the previous game, but he returned to play in the quarterfinal for 11 minutes at the end of regulation. It's unclear how many minutes Williams has in his legs, but it's unlikely to be enough to see him start the match.

Luis de la Fuente surprisingly benched Pedri for the quarterfinal win over Belgium, installing Fabian Ruiz instead, but it's believed the Barcelona star will regain his starting spot here as Ruiz was overall ineffective even as he scored the opening goal.

France vs. Spain predictions, betting odds

The buildup to this match has focused on the matchup between the unstoppable force of France's attack against the immovable object of Spain's defense.

While many believe that will produce fireworks, the opposite is likely to happen, as France manager Deschamps has historically been happy to acquiesce to a low-scoring grinder of a match despite his wealth of attackers.

It's reasonable to expect few goals in a meeting of these two heavyweights, as Spain know France's weakness is in midfield, where they look to dominate, but struggle to create lots of high-value chances in the attack. In the end, France's quality in the final third should give them the edge.

A 1-0 victory or 1-1 draw is reasonable, but these two teams also boast excellent finishers, which could make the difference in the end.

• Score prediction: France 2-1 Spain

France vs. Spain World Cup rosters

Here are the names on France and Spain's World Cup rosters. All caps and stats are correct as of the date of their announcement in May 2026.

France World Cup roster

MORE: A complete breakdown of France's 2026 World Cup squad

Head coach: Didier Deschamps

Spain World Cup squad

MORE: A complete breakdown of Spain's 2026 World Cup squad

Head coach: Luis de la Fuente

Where to watch France vs. Spain

In USA:

• TV channel: FOX
• Live stream: fubo, Fox One, Fox Sports app/website

This match will be broadcast nationally on Fox in the United States with streaming options available on its dedicated platforms.

The best place to catch the match is on streaming service fubo.

Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox and 100+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)

Here is how to watch the match in some of the other major territories: