ARLINGTON, Texas, USA (AP) — Kylian Mbappé and the French national team have maintained an unbeaten streak throughout the current World Cup, mirroring the performance of Spain, led by Rodri Hernández, Lamine Yamal, and the late-game contributions of Mikel Merino off the bench. As these two football powerhouses prepare to clash, only one team will advance to the grand final.
This upcoming match marks the seventeenth World Cup appearance for both France and Spain, yet they have faced each other only once in the history of this prestigious tournament. The showdown is set to take place on Tuesday at the AT&T Stadium, home to the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and represents the first of two highly anticipated semifinal matches.
Entering the tournament as the top-ranked team by FIFA, France has demonstrated remarkable prowess, scoring an impressive 14 goals while conceding a mere two across six matches. Kylian Mbappé leads the charge with eight goals, tying him with Lionel Messi at the top of the tournament's goal-scoring chart and just one goal shy of the all-time World Cup record held by the Argentine captain, which stands at 21 goals. At just 27 years old, Mbappé has already netted 20 goals in his 20 World Cup appearances, including a crucial strike in the 2018 final against Croatia, where he became one of the youngest players to score in a World Cup final, joining the legendary Pelé in this exclusive club. Following his substitution in the 77th minute during France's 2-0 victory over Morocco in the quarterfinals, where he scored another goal, Mbappé expressed confidence in his physical condition.
On the other hand, Lamine Yamal, who just celebrated his 19th birthday on Monday, has previously contributed to two semifinal victories for Spain against France. Just shy of turning 17, he scored in Spain's 2-1 triumph during the Euro 2024 semifinals, and the team secured another victory in the UEFA Nations League last year. Yamal conveyed his team's confidence, stating, "We have no fear of France... If anyone should be afraid, it’s them. We are two extraordinary teams," following Spain's decisive 3-1 win over Belgium in the quarterfinals.
Although Yamal has only one goal in North America, he has attempted 10 shots on target. He arrived at this World Cup after recovering from a left hamstring issue that sidelined him towards the end of the season with Barcelona. Spain, despite a surprising 0-0 draw against Cape Verde at the start of the group stage, has convincingly outperformed their opponents, scoring 10 goals and conceding just one. The team remains in contention thanks to Merino's late goals as a substitute in both of their last two matches. Additionally, goalkeeper Unai Simón set a World Cup record with 650 minutes without conceding a goal until Belgium found the net in the 41st minute of the quarterfinal match.
Merino's contributions were pivotal, scoring in the 88th minute to secure a 2-1 victory over Belgium on Friday, and netting a goal in the first minute of added time during their 1-0 win against Portugal in the previous round, at the same venue where the semifinal will be held.
The Legacy of Champions
This World Cup marks the first time since 1990 that all four semifinalists boast championship titles. Defending champions Argentina, led by Messi, who defeated France for the title four years prior, will face England in the other semifinal on Wednesday in Atlanta. The championship match is scheduled for Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, just across the Hudson River from New York City, while the third-place playoff will take place on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Historically, France and Spain have met only once in a World Cup, with France coming out on top with a 3-1 victory during the round of 16 in the 2006 tournament held in Germany. Spain initially led the match with a penalty converted by David Villa, but France turned the tide with goals from Franck Ribéry, Patrick Vieira, and Zinedine Zidane. Since that encounter, both teams have experienced World Cup glory, with Spain clinching its only title in 2010 and France securing its second championship in 2018.
As they prepare to play on Bastille Day, France hopes to join Brazil (five titles) and Germany (four titles) as the only nations to reach three consecutive World Cup finals. Brazil achieved this feat from 1994 to 2002, securing two titles and losing to France during that stretch. Germany's 1990 championship came after they were runners-up in the two previous World Cups, all contested under the banner of West Germany at that time.
Argentina triumphed over France in a penalty shootout in 2022 after a dramatic 3-3 draw.
This marks France's seventh semifinal appearance, with five of those occurring in the last eight World Cups. Spain, conversely, has only reached the semifinals on two occasions: in 1950 and again in 2010 en route to their championship win.
Final Preparations in Dallas
The AT&T Stadium in North Texas will host its ninth match of the tournament, the highest number for this expanded edition featuring 48 teams. The venue has previously held a Super Bowl and various college football and basketball championship games.
Messi scored three goals in Argentina's two group stage matches, including a historic tally on June 22, where, despite missing a penalty, he broke the record for the most goals in World Cup history with his first of two goals in a 2-0 victory over Austria. He added another goal as a substitute in the closing moments against Jordan on June 27.
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese superstar, concluded his sixth and final World Cup campaign with a 1-0 defeat to Spain in the round of 16 on July 6.
As reported by bostonherald.com.
