The 2026 FIFA World Cup holds its breath on Tuesday as the semi-finals kick off with a clash between France's fearsome attack and Spain's highly skilled technical side.

France has reached the last two World Cup finals, winning the title in Russia in 2018 and losing to Argentina less than four years ago in Qatar in an epic final despite a hat-trick from Kylian Mbappé.

France seeks to win the world title for the third time, while Spain, despite its rich football history, has only lifted the trophy once, in South Africa in 2010.

Many observers believe that Spain's squad this year has the quality needed to win the tournament, but they must first find a way to stop France's star-studded attack led by Mbappé.

The Real Madrid forward has scored eight goals and shares the Golden Boot lead with Lionel Messi, which will present a different challenge for Spain's defense in Arlington, Texas.

France's attacking lineup also includes Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise, born in England, whose pace and dribbling skills help disrupt defenses and create space for Mbappé to work his magic.

Alongside them, France can count on Paris Saint-Germain duo Bradley Barcola and Désiré Doué.

The defeat to Messi's Argentina in the Doha final was a bitter experience for France, and the desire for potential revenge is strong, should Messi lead his team past England in the other semi-final in Atlanta on Wednesday.

Adding to France's motivation is that their coach Didier Deschamps will leave after this tournament following 14 years in charge.

Deschamps, who already belongs to the elite few who have won the World Cup as both player and coach, said he is eager to win a third title: "It's a human adventure, and even though I chose the players, being with this group daily is extremely important. I am very happy on a personal level, and also happy to see them enjoying themselves so much."

Advantage

In Lamine Yamal, who turned 19 on Monday, Spain has the player who is likely to succeed the younger Messi and Mbappé as the next global football star.

Yamal led Spain to victory in Euro 2024, but he is playing in his first World Cup while still recovering from a hamstring injury.

The Barcelona player initially appeared less brilliant than usual but gradually improved and was named man of the match in the 2-1 win over Belgium in the semi-final.

The youngster pointed out that Spain holds an advantage over France after beating them 2-1 in the Euro 2024 semi-final and also in the 2025 Nations League semi-final by a large 5-4 scoreline.

Yamal said: "There are two possibilities: either they reach three consecutive World Cup finals, or we beat them three times in a row. We'll see what happens."

Spain's path to the final has been built on a solid defense, as Belgium's goal at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles was the first they have conceded in the entire tournament.

Coach Luis de la Fuente has reinstated the possession style that was a hallmark of previous Spain teams, meaning France must first win the ball before launching their attacks.