France reaches World Cup semifinals, sets up showdown with Spain
Mbappé hit 10 knockout-stage World Cup goals as France booked a semifinal with Spain after three straight wins over Sweden, Paraguay and Morocco.
Kylian Mbappé sent France into the World Cup semifinals with the strike that finished off Morocco, extending a knockout run that has carried Didier Deschamps’ side through Sweden, Paraguay and now into a showdown with Spain in Dallas. France have not just advanced; they have stacked three straight wins across New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia and Boston, and they arrive with the look of a team that has grown sharper with every round.
The path has been built on Mbappé’s surge. He scored twice in the 3-0 win over Sweden on June 30 at New York/New Jersey Stadium, then converted a penalty in the 1-0 victory over Paraguay on July 4 at Philadelphia Stadium before scoring again against Morocco on July 9 at Boston Stadium. Bradley Barcola also scored against Sweden, while Ousmane Dembélé added the second goal against Morocco to seal France’s place in a third consecutive World Cup semifinal.
FIFA said Mbappé reached 10 goals in World Cup knockout stages, a tournament record, and that France now have a chance to reach a third straight final. If they do, they would become only the second European nation to play in three consecutive World Cup finals, after West Germany. The numbers underline how far France have come, but the route also exposed the line Spain will try to press. France needed only one goal to beat Paraguay and needed a late Mbappé finish to break Morocco, a reminder that their margin has narrowed even as their confidence has grown.
Spain will bring the opposite test. FIFA framed the matchup as France’s irreverent attack against Spain’s control, with the reigning European champions offering a midfield challenge led by Rodri and a front line that includes Lamine Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal. France beat Spain at the semifinal stage of Euro 2024, and FIFA cast that loss as the moment that pushed France to reinvent themselves.
The semifinal is set for Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at Dallas Stadium, with kickoff at 14:00 in Dallas, 21:00 in Paris and 21:00 in Madrid. Luis Fernández, the former France international, said he supports France but has sympathy for Spain, and pointed to Mbappé’s leadership and Spain’s midfield as the key tensions in a contest that should decide whether France’s momentum survives its first true tactical examination of the tournament.
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