Spain will be looking to contain France's formidable attack on Wednesday with the help of their formidable defence. This will be the first semi-final of the 2026 World Cup. It will be a heavyweight clash between two big teams. The European champions and Didier Deschamps' French team will meet in Texas. Some have dubbed it the 'final before the final'. 

In the blue corner, France and its journey to the last four have been aggressive in themselves. The team has more than one option for attack. It is led by captain Kylian Mbappe himself. This player has scored eight goals in six games. 

Other players supporting Mbappe in attack are Bayern Munich's Michael Olis, Paris Saint-Germain's (PSG) Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele and Desiree Dou. 

In the red corner, Spain is in the red corner. The team's semi-final journey has been restrained. The team's emphasis is on great control of the ball. Under the leadership of coach Luis de la Fuente, Spain is playing its traditional and real 'trademark' game. 

Where France's game is based on individual excellence, Spain is based on team performance. Rodri, Pedri and Fabian Ruiz in the midfield are presenting a unique model of series of ball passes. Teenage winger Lamine Yamal is trying to support them. In this way, it will also be a 'classic' game between two different styles. 

Accordingly, the Spanish team will be busy with a series of ball passes to stop Mbappe. On the other hand, the French defense has not been tested much in this World Cup so far. History will be inspiring Spain here, because they defeated France 5-4 in a thrilling match of the UEFA Nations League. Spain also won 2-1 over France in the 2024 semi-finals. 

Yamal's birthday is on Wednesday, the day of the match. He will be 19 years old. He claims that there is nothing to worry about for his team. "Of course, it is a match between two big teams. Let's see what happens. We are not afraid of anything," he says.

Spain ended Belgium's challenge 2-1 in the quarter-finals. He adds, "There are two possibilities for this match. Maybe France will reach the World Cup final for the third time in a row. Otherwise, we will defeat France for the third time in a row."

Spanish coach De la Fuente, however, seems a bit more reserved. "The French team is in great shape right now. Again, our two teams have different playing styles. We have complete respect for France. At this point, we are confident that we will beat France. We know that there is no shortage of talented players in the French team. But what everyone needs to understand is that if anyone has beaten France in the last two semi-finals, it has been Spain."

The French attack will be trying to break down the Spanish defense. Spain only conceded its first goal in the last match against Belgium. France's entry into the final will be motivated by another reason. France is playing its last tournament under the leadership of coach Didier Deschamps. He will be removed from the team at the end of it. When France enters the final of this World Cup, he had the opportunity to become the third team to play in a third consecutive final. 

Germany and Brazil have previously played in the World Cup semi-finals three times in a row. Deschamps is not ready to accept the fact that France has become the biggest power in world football under his leadership. He says, 'There are good players in the team, that's why France has become strong. But I think my work in itself is not bad, it is successful.'

He says, 'All the moments spent with this French team are important. Personally, I am very happy at the moment and I am happy that the players are happy too.' As an example of this, Mbappe celebrated with his coach after the goal against Sweden. Regarding this, Mbappe said, ‘Our DNA as a team is to stay united even in difficult situations.’