Sports analyst Joy Paulian from the American network CBS Sports sparked widespread controversy on the eve of the 2026 World Cup semi-final between France and Spain by predicting a crushing victory for Les Bleus by a score of 3 or 4 clean goals.

Paulian said in television statements: "France is ahead of Spain by miles; France can beat this Spanish team 3-0 or 4-0."

The American analyst justified her predictions by France's clear superiority on all fronts, saying: "Defensively, the French team has not conceded any goals in the knockout stages; they have an excellent goalkeeper and a very solid defense. The French team has immense strength in all positions."

She added: "If any player is not performing well, he is replaced by a world-class player capable of changing the course of the match," pointing to France's bench depth as a decisive factor.

In contrast, Paulian criticized Spain's performance in the knockout stages, explaining: "Offensively, the Spanish team has not shown its best level, and we have not seen the best of Lamine Yamal."

The French team arrives at the match with high morale after a comfortable 2-0 victory over Morocco in the quarter-finals, a match that Didier Deschamps' men fully controlled and showed remarkable defensive solidity.

As for the Spanish team, they had to wait until the final minutes to secure their qualification against Belgium with a 2-1 result, thanks to a decisive goal from Mikel Merino, in a match that revealed some defensive gaps in La Roja's ranks.