Lorraine Williamson
Spain are one victory away from the World Cup final as they prepare to face France in Dallas tonight in one of the most eagerly awaited matches of the tournament.
La Roja have reached only the second World Cup semi-final in the country’s history. France, meanwhile, are appearing at this stage for the third consecutive tournament after reaching the final in both 2018 and 2022.
The winners will advance to Sunday’s final in New York, New Jersey, where they will meet England or Argentina. Those two countries contest the second semi-final on Wednesday evening.
What time is Spain v France tonight?
The World Cup semi-final begins at 9.00 pm in mainland Spain and 8.00 pm in the Canary Islands. It is being played at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, where the local kick-off time is 2.00 pm.
Viewers in Spain can watch the match live and free on La 1, with online coverage also available through RTVE Play. RTVE’s live broadcast is scheduled to begin shortly before kick-off.
Spain arrive after tense victory over Belgium
Spain secured their place in the last four with a 2-1 victory over Belgium. Mikel Merino scored the decisive goal in the closing stages after the match appeared to be heading towards extra time.
That followed a narrow 1-0 win against Portugal in the round of 16. Spain’s progress has not always been comfortable, but the side have conceded only once throughout the tournament — Belgium’s equaliser in the quarter-final.
Luis de la Fuente’s team completed their final training session in Arlington on Monday. The Spanish coach described reaching the semi-final as another step towards a much larger ambition: winning the World Cup for the second time.
France chasing a third successive final
France reached the semi-final by defeating Morocco 2-0 and have now won 17 of their 20 World Cup matches since the beginning of the 2018 tournament.
Didier Deschamps’ side are attempting to reach a third consecutive World Cup final. Kylian Mbappé remains the central threat, having become the first player directly involved in at least 100 goals for the French national team, through 64 goals and 37 assists.
Spain will need to manage France’s pace and ability to attack quickly after winning possession. France may be prepared to allow Spain more of the ball, trusting Mbappé and their other forwards to exploit any space left behind.
Lamine Yamal marks birthday with World Cup semi-final
The match falls on Lamine Yamal’s 19th birthday, giving one of Spain’s most influential players another opportunity to shape a major international occasion.
The winger said the semi-final would be a particularly special day, but made clear that reaching the final remained the priority. His duel with France’s defence — and the inevitable comparisons with Mbappé — will be among the central themes of the evening.
Spain hold the advantage in previous meetings
Spain and France have faced each other 38 times, with Spain winning 18 matches, France 13 and the remaining seven ending in draws.
Despite their long rivalry, tonight will be only their second meeting at a World Cup. France won the previous encounter 3-1 in the round of 16 in 2006, when goals from Franck Ribéry, Patrick Vieira and Zinedine Zidane overturned a Spanish lead.
More recently, Spain defeated France 2-1 in the semi-final of Euro 2024 before going on to win the title. La Roja also prevailed 5-4 when the teams met in the Nations League in 2025, although that extraordinary nine-goal match demonstrated how quickly France can punish defensive mistakes.
England and Argentina meet in Wednesday’s semi-final
The second World Cup semi-final takes place on Wednesday, 15 July, when England face defending champions Argentina at Atlanta Stadium. Kick-off is at 9.00 pm in mainland Spain and 8.00 m in the Canary Islands, with the winners joining either Spain or France in Sunday’s final.
The two losing semi-finalists will meet in the third-place play-off at Miami Stadium on Saturday 18 July, with kick-off at 11.00 pm in mainland Spain. The World Cup final then takes place at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, 19 July, beginning at 9.00 pm in mainland Spain.
A chance to return to the World Cup final
Spain’s only previous appearance in a World Cup semi-final came in 2010, when Carles Puyol’s header secured victory over Germany. Spain then defeated the Netherlands in the final to lift the trophy for the first time.
Sixteen years later, a new generation now has the opportunity to take La Roja back to football’s biggest match. First, however, Spain must overcome a French team with vast tournament experience and a habit of reaching the closing stages.
Kick-off is at 9.00 pm, with a place in Sunday’s World Cup final at stake.