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The Biggest Soccer Match of the Year Is Happening TODAY: France vs. Spain!
Quick Summary
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is down to four teams. TODAY, France and Spain play their semifinal match in Dallas, Texas. The winner will move to the final and have a chance to lift the World Cup trophy!
What Happened?
The 2026 World Cup started with 48 nations. Now, only four are left. France, Spain, England, and Argentina all won their quarterfinals and earned spots in the final four. For the first time in World Cup history, the four semifinalists are also the four highest-ranked teams in the world — ranked exactly 1, 2, 3, and 4!
The first semifinal is France vs. Spain, kicking off at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time today in Dallas, Texas. Tomorrow, Argentina faces England in Atlanta.
France has been nearly perfect this tournament. They have won all six of their matches so far. Their star, Kylian Mbappé, has scored eight goals and is leading the race for the tournament’s top scorer award — that’s like leading a class spelling bee, but with goals.
Spain has been super steady. They have only given up one goal in the entire tournament — that is six matches with almost no mistakes. Their coach’s plan has been tight defense and smart attacks.
But the real buzz is about Spain’s young star, Lamine Yamal. He just turned 19 years old yesterday! He already became the youngest player to score a World Cup goal since the legendary Pelé did it back in 1958. That was 68 years ago!
Why Does It Matter?
This is a match between two of soccer’s all-time greatest nations. France last won the World Cup in 2018. Spain last won in 2010 — that is 16 years ago! Both teams desperately want to win it again.
France and Spain have already met six times in major international tournaments. Their rivalry stretches back decades. At the last big tournament — Euro 2024 — Spain beat France 2-1 in the semifinals. So Spain has a little score to settle from France’s point of view, and a little confidence from Spain’s point of view!
The winner of today’s match will play in the final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey — right next to New York City — in front of tens of thousands of fans.
Big Words
- Semifinal — the second-to-last round of a tournament; win here and you go to the final
- Rivalry — a special, long-running competition between two teams or players who keep facing each other
- Tournament — a competition where many teams play matches to find one champion
- Golden Boot — the award given to the player who scores the most goals in the World Cup
- Quarterfinal — the round just before the semifinal, where eight teams compete to become four
Fun Fact
Lamine Yamal was just six months old when he appeared in a UNICEF photo shoot with Lionel Messi! Now, he is one of the biggest soccer stars in the world — and playing in a World Cup semifinal the day after his 19th birthday.
Think About It
If you were the coach of either team today, what would your game plan be to win the most important match of the year?
Sources
- ESPN — 2026 FIFA World Cup fixtures, results, match schedule
- Al Jazeera — FIFA World Cup France vs Spain: What to know ahead of the first semifinal
- Fox Sports — France vs. Spain Confirmed for Semifinals: Here’s What to Know
- WorldCupPass.com — FIFA World Cup 2026 Semifinals: Schedule, Teams, Bracket & Results