The FIFA World Cup 2026 is now in the semifinal stage, and the first match is between France and Spain on Tuesday, 14 July, at the Dallas Stadium in Wellington, Texas. The winning team gets the spot in the final of the FIFA World Cup at MetLife Stadium. France did not lose any match in this World Cup. Kylian Mbappe is the top goal scorer for them in this World Cup; he is also the number one contender for the Golden Boot this year. On the other hand, Spain also did not lose any matches in this World Cup. But Spain beat France in both the EURO 2024 semi-final and the 2025 Nations League semi-final.
In this article, we highlight the top 5 players to watch in the semifinal clash between France and Spain at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
| Player | Team | Position |
| Kylian Mbappe | France | Forward / Left Winger |
| Lamine Yamal | Spain | Right Winger |
| Rodri | Spain | Defensive Midfielder |
| Ousmane Dembele | France | Right Winger |
| Mikel Oyarzabal | Spain | Centre-Forward |
Kylian Mbappe (France)
No surprise here: Kylian Mbappe tops this list. He is currently the top contender in the Golden boot race with eight goals and three assists in five games. He scored again in the quarterfinal clash with Morocco; also, he drew with Lionel Messi’s career World Cup goals tally and now has 20 goals in 20 World Cup games in just three tournaments.
Lamine Yamal (Spain)
Lamine Yamal is just 19 years old and the most talented player in Spain’s squad. He is not playing that well in this World Cup but his fans and Spain fans want him to perform in this high pressure game against France. He scored a crucial goal against France at Euro 2024 and netted a hat-trick in Spain’s 5-4 Nations League victory over France two years ago.
Rodri (Spain)
One of the best defensive midfielders and the captain of Spain. Rodri makes 99.5 passes per game, more than any other player at this World Cup. Pedri done his job very well. His partnership with Rodri has bolstered Spain’s midfield. France have a good midfield as well. This makes Pedri’s position even more important. If he perform in this game, Spain has more chance to win.
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Ousmane Dembele (France)
The Ballon d’or winner and one of France’s best forward and right winger players is Ousmane Dembele. In this World Cup he scored five goals and his partnership with Mbappe is absolutely fire. Dembele’s ability to cut inside from the right and carry the ball at defenders to make chances for France is a different way to hurt Spain beyond pure pace on the counter and he will test a spanish back line.
Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain)
Spain’s top scorer in the tournament with four goals, Oyarzabal has a habit of coming on late to win knockout matches, coming off the bench to win Spain’s last two ties. He is part of a fluid Spanish front line with Yamal and either Nico Williams or Alex Baena, and if Spain’s midfield can control the game the way Rodri and Pedri want it to, his movement and finishing instincts inside the box could be the difference.
This semifinal has as much personal quality as any match left in the tournament, with Mbappe chasing the Golden Boot, Yamal chasing a comeback and two of Europe’s best midfield generals squaring off in the middle. The winner will face either England or Argentina in the final on Sunday in New Jersey.
Also Read: FIFA World Cup 2026 Semi-Finals: France, Spain, Argentina & England Battle For a Place In The Final
