France is all set to lock horns with Spain in the semi-final 1 of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The match is scheduled to be played on July 15 at the Dallas Stadium in Texas.
Ahead of the match, France’s midfielder Adrien Rabiot said that his team will not focus only on Lamine Yamal, but will also focus on Spain’s attacking players, possession, and other things.
“There is no anti-Lamine Yamal plan. We are focusing on the Spanish national team, not just one player. We know they are dangerous across the board: him, the attacking players, their possession, their ability to find spaces near the box, and their combination play. We have to be alert to all of that. I don’t think we should focus solely on one individual,” he said, according to Goal.com.
Spain has advanced to the last four stage after defeating Belgium by 2-1 in the quarterfinals. Spain will enter the match with an unbeaten run of 36 matches and will be eager to seal the final berth of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
On the other hand, France has dominated the group stage matches among the four remaining teams. After finishing top of Group I, the Kylian Mbappe-led team opened the knockout rounds with a commanding 3-0 victory over Sweden in the Round of 32.
The team then edged past Paraguay 1-0 in a closely contested Round of 16 before producing another disciplined display to defeat Morocco 2-0 in the quarter-finals and secure a place in the last four.
Additionally, France has scored six goals in the knockout matches without conceding a single one. This highlights the team’s defensive discipline and control under pressure.
Even in tightly contested encounters, France’s structure has remained solid, while the skipper has continued to provide the cutting edge in attack when it matters most.
FIFA World Cup 2026, France vs Spain: Full squads
France: Brice Samba, Mike Maignan, Robin Risser, Malo Gusto, Lucas Digne, Dayot Upamecano, Jules Koundé, Ibrahima Konaté, William Saliba, Theo Hernández, Lucas Hernández, Maxence Lacroix, Manu Koné, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Maghnes Akliouche, N’Golo Kanté, Rayan Cherki, Adrien Rabiot, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Ousmane Dembele, Marcus Thuram, Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Désiré Doué.
Spain: David Raya, Joan Garcia, Unai Simon, Marc Pubill, Alejandro Grimaldo, Eric Garcia, Marcos Llorente, Pedro Porro, Aymeric Laporte, Pau Cubarsi, Marc Cucurella, Mikel Merino, Fabián Ruiz, Gavi, Álex Baena, Rodri, Martín Zubimendi, Pedri, Ferran Torres, Dani Olmo, Yéremy Pino, Nico Williams, Lamine Yamal, Mikel Oyarzabal, Víctor Muñoz, Borja Iglesias.
(With ANI Inputs)
