France against Spain. The two best teams at this tournament, the top two ranked teams in the world, meeting in a World Cup semifinal with a spot in Sunday's final on the line.
This is the one. Kickoff is at 3 p.m. ET in Dallas and if you are not watching, you are making a mistake.
France has been absolutely dominant at this World Cup. They have won all six matches, scoring 16 goals while conceding just two. Kylian Mbappe leads the tournament in goals and Michael Olise has a tournament-high five assists, one shy of tying Pele's all-time record for a single edition of the tournament. They are fast, they are deep, and they have not broken a sweat getting here. Mbappe in a semifinal is just unfair.
Spain, meanwhile, has been a completely different kind of dominant. Prior to their 2-1 win over Belgium in the quarterfinals, Spain had not conceded a goal in six straight World Cup matches — the longest such streak in tournament history. They have won ugly, won late, and found a way every single time. Mikel Merino has now scored two go-ahead goals after the 85th minute at this tournament. The man is a cheat code off the bench.
The last time these two met, Spain beat France 2-1 in the Euro 2024 semifinal, with a 17-year-old Lamine Yamal putting on a performance the continent could not stop talking about. Yamal comes in a little quieter this tournament after a hamstring scare, but there are signs he is finding his rhythm again. If he turns it on today, France has a serious problem on their hands.
This is genuinely the toughest game to call of the entire tournament. France has the most firepower. Spain has the best defense. Something has to give. French coach Luis de la Fuente summed it up well: "We have to be careful not to make any mistakes. We need to be sharp and clinical in the boxes." Both teams know one lapse decides it.
By the numbers
France has scored 16 goals in six games, averaging better than 2.5 per match. Spain has conceded one goal in seven games total. Mbappe has eight goals in the tournament. Yamal is 18 years old and playing in a World Cup semifinal. Pick your brain-breaking stat and run with it.
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