France and Spain will meet this Tuesday at 4 p.m. at AT&T Stadium in Dallas for the first place in the 2026 World Cup final. In the build-up to the match, Didier Deschamps chose to place the Spanish national team in the role of favorite.
The France coach acknowledged that his own side entered the tournament with strong expectations, but stressed that Spain’s recent record gives it an even heavier burden. His assessment also served to shift pressure toward Luis de la Fuente’s team.
Deschamps based his view on the opponent’s current competitive standing. Spain arrives as European champion, and the two national teams also met in last year’s Nations League semifinal. The French coach additionally noted that Spain later lost that tournament’s final to Portugal.
Despite the psychological positioning, France is not underestimating the challenge. Deschamps highlighted Spain’s many strengths and warned that, at this stage of the World Cup, small details can decide the outcome. The semifinal will bring together two teams built to compete for the title.
France will try to preserve the solidity that carried it into this stage, while Spain will seek to confirm the leading role it has built over recent seasons and return to a World Cup final. The winner will become the first finalist.
The other semifinal will feature Argentina and England on Wednesday in Atlanta. The winner of that match will face the winner of France-Spain in the final scheduled for Sunday, July 19.
