Spain Warns France Are Stronger Ahead of World Cup Semifinal, Backed by 16 Goals in 6 Games
Updated
Updated · ESPN · Jul 14
Spain Warns France Are Stronger Ahead of World Cup Semifinal, Backed by 16 Goals in 6 Games
3 articles · Updated · ESPN · Jul 14
Summary
Tuesday's semifinal pits Spain against a France side Luis de la Fuente says has improved sharply since Spain beat Les Bleus 2-1 in the Euro 2024 last four.
16 goals and 12 assists from Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, Désiré Doué and Bradley Barcola have powered France through six World Cup matches, with only two goals conceded.
Spain have also been elite defensively, allowing just one goal in the tournament and beating Belgium 2-1 in the quarterfinal after a 490-minute shutout streak.
Recent meetings still favor Spain — a 2-1 Euro 2024 semifinal win and a 5-4 Nations League semifinal victory last summer — but de la Fuente called this matchup worthy of a final.
The winner will face Argentina or England in the July 19 final in East Rutherford, with FIFA's No. 1 and No. 3 teams meeting a round early.