Key events
Spain are unchanged following their victory over Belgium. Mikel Merino, match-winning supersub in both of the previous two rounds, once again has to make do with a seat on the bench.
France make two changes to the team that started the win over Morocco. Aurélien Tchouaméni returns from injury to replace Manu Koné in midfield, while Bradley Barcola comes in for Désiré Doué on the left flank.
The teams
France: Maignan, Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Digne, Tchouameni, Rabiot, Dembele, Olise, Barcola, Mbappe.
Subs: Samba, Risser, Gusto, Kone, Thuram, Kante, Konate, Zaire Emery, Theo Hernandez, Doue, Lucas Hernandez, Mateta, Cherki, Akliouche, Lacroix.
Spain: Simon, Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella, Rodri, Fabian, Yamal, Olmo, Baena, Oyarzabal.
Subs: Raya, Joan Garcia, Pubill, Grimaldo, Eric Garcia, Llorente, Merino, Torres, Gavi, Pino, Williams, Zubimendi, Gonzalez, Munoz, Iglesias.
Referee: Ivan Barton Cisneros (El Salvador).
This will be France’s eighth semi-final. Their hit rate is pretty good: three losses (against Brazil in 1958 and West Germany in 1982 and 1986) followed by four wins (against Croatia in 1998, Portugal in 2006, Belgium in 2018 and Morocco in 2022).
By contrast, it’s just Spain’s second appearance at this stage, though they can boast a 100-percent record, having seen off Germany in 2010. They also participated in the 1950 final pool, which could have been a damp squib but … wasn’t.
Just the four penalty shoot-outs so far. What price another tonight? And if so … then what?!
Spain really started slowly. That opening goalless draw with Cape Verde, which admittedly doesn’t look so bad in retrospect. They belatedly got going with an easy victory over Saudi Arabia, before knocking out Uruguay. Despite that initial stutter, Spain topped Group H after all.
Onto the knockouts, during which Spain have done enough without ever clicking into top gear … yet … though those no-fuss Mikel Oyarzabal finishes against Austria were delicious.
France made it through Group I without any fuss. They started slowly but eventually surged past Senegal. A two-hour storm break during their meeting with Iraq was like water off a duck’s back. Then they achieved grade A against Norway B.
Onto the knockouts, during which they’ve made their class tell, one way or another. And here we are.
In the beginning … here’s how it all looked at the outset of this epic odyssey. Not so much has changed, bar ever-increasing hope and expectation.
Preamble
France and Spain are about to compete the semi-final of a World Cup in which they’ve been by some margin the best two teams. It’s a showdown that can’t be oversold. So let’s not try. Kick-off in Dallas is 8pm BST/3pm EST/5am AEST. It’s on!
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