World Cup 2026: Red or Blue? It’s up to You!

France vs Spain

The World Cup 2026 semi-finals are upon us and the best teams on the planet are set to do battle in a midweek feast of football.

In the Wednesday semi-final at the Mercedez Benz Stadium in Atalanta, holders Argentina face England while, 24 hours earlier Luis de la Fuente’s Spain will take on Didier Deschamps’ France. And that means that FIFA’s highest ranked four teams are still in the competition. Les Bleus are the top team now with Spain third, and Dallas Texas is the venue for the two Southern European neighbours will meet on Tuesday.

France are hoping to become the third team to reach three consecutive World Cup finals, after Germany and Brazil but they meet a Spain team which has had the better o-f this relationship in recent years.

These are the match-ups which makes football the beautiful and most watched game on the plant, ands we’re in for a spectacular 100 minutes or so on Tuesday; but who do you reckon will make it to Sunday’s final…La Roja or Les Bleus?    

 

Talking Points

Mbappe is good to go again

Any Spanish hopes that Kylian Mbappe may be doubtful for this semi-final, after he was substituted late in the quarter-final against Morocco have been quickly dismissed by the France skipper, who said after the game: “I have a minor ankle injury, but I am completely fine. Mateta was in a better position to play the remaining minutes of the match and was fitter at that moment. That is all that happened.”  

Before he was substituted Mbappe did the business against Morocco, scoring the opener after missing a penalty and then teeing up the second for Ousmane Dembele. Deschamps has taken the breaks of this team which has a terrifying attack made up of these two, Michael Olise and one of the Paris Saint-Germain youngsters, Desire Doue or Bradley Barcola. Mbappe, with eight goals and three assists this World Cup, is aiming for a Golden Boot and redemption for his nation after they were beaten by Argentina in the final four years ago.   

 

Supersub Merino is pushing for a start  

After drawing their opener against Cape Verde, De La Fuente’s men have been impressive in reaching the latter stages but La Roja’s win over Belgium didn’t come easy. After Fabian Ruiz had given Spain a first half lead Charles De Ketelaere levelled for the Red Devils who then held out until late in the game. But then up popped Arsenal star Mikel Merino who made history by being the first man at a World Cup finals to score the winner in two consecutive ties in a knockout, after he did just that in the Round of 16 against Portugal. That winner came on 91 minutes whereas Merino’s strike against Belgium was on 88, just two minutes after he entered the game, he needed six minutes to score against the Selecao latching on to a clever through ball from Ferran Torres. 

Real Sociedad man Mikel Oyarzabal, with four goals, is leading the Spanish line well, while Barcelona’s Torres is pushing for a start, so it may be that De La Fuente will prefer to keep Merino up his sleeve until he needs him.  

Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal is yet to hit the hights of Euro 2024 but he has plenty of World Cup 2026 highlights in his locker and has looked increasingly lively as the tournament progresses.

 

History

This is a match-up between the 2010 World Champions Spain, and the winners of the 1998 and 2018 tournaments and both nations have been in ominous form in this competition. Following an opening match goalless draw, Spain have won all five, scoring 11 goals and conceding one. Meanwhile France have won all six, with an impressive goal difference of 16 goals to two.   

France are the marginal favourites but Spain are unbeaten in 14 major tournament matches.

And over the past 11 meetings Spain have won seven to France’s three and there has been one draw. La Roja have won the last two encounters, a 2-1 victory at Euro 2024 and a 5-4 win in the 2025 UEFA Nations League as Yamal scored a double, with Merino on target again.   

 

Betting Tip

This SBOTOP writer backed Spain from the off and I’m not about to change my mind. The  

World Cup 2026 betting odds predict the winner will probably come from this semi-final and, at 2.30 Les Bleus start the favourites, with La Roja at 2.95 and the draw at 3.15. 

I think Spain will triumph, but I have more confidence in a game with goals and, for a correct score line I go with 2-1 to Spain at 9.50. But I’m happy to sit on the fence and predict a match with three or more in the first 100 minutes.   

   

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