France and Spain have finalised their starting lineups ahead of Tuesday night’s 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Kick-off is scheduled for 21:00 CET. Salvadoran referee Iván Barton will officiate the contest, marking his seventh appointment at this tournament. The 35-year-old has never previously taken charge of either nation, though he did send off Paraguay’s Miguel Almirón earlier in the competition following an altercation with Turkey’s Mert Müldür.
The victor will advance to Sunday’s final, while the defeated side will contest Saturday’s Bronze final in Miami against either England or Argentina.
Team News
Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has retained the midfield partnership that defeated Belgium in the quarter-finals, with Paris Saint-Germain’s Fabián Ruíz again preferred to Pedri. Ruíz scored in the 2-1 victory over Belgium, which ended goalkeeper Unai Simón’s record run without conceding at 650 minutes. Mikel Merino, who also netted against the Belgians, starts on the bench. Former RB Leipzig attacker Dani Olmo keeps his place in an advanced role, while Alex Baena features on the left flank ahead of Nico Williams. Williams and Crystal Palace winger Yeremy Pino are both fit enough to return among the substitutes after recent knocks.
France coach Didier Deschamps has made one change to the side that overcame Morocco in the last eight, with Aurélien Tchouaméni returning to the starting XI alongside Adrien Rabiot in midfield. This means former Borussia Mönchengladbach talent Manu Koné, who was withdrawn as a precaution against Morocco, drops to the bench. Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise retains his central playmaking role behind captain Kylian Mbappé, who is fit to start despite acute ankle pain late in the quarter-final. Ousmane Dembélé operates on the right flank, with Dayot Upamecano and William Saliba continuing their central defensive partnership.
Background
The fixture represents the third consecutive major tournament semi-final between the sides. Spain defeated France 2-1 at the same stage of Euro 2024, with Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo overturning an early deficit. De la Fuente remains unbeaten in 13 matches across World Cup and European Championship campaigns. Ahead of kick-off, the Spain coach maintained he holds “very high expectations” for the contest, noting that his squad possess the quality to overcome the tournament favourites.