Overview
- The first WM 2026 semifinal will kick off at AT&T Stadium in Arlington at 21:00 MESZ on Tuesday, July 14, and the match will be shown free on ARD/ZDF via Joyn with pay coverage on MagentaTV.
- France arrives unbeaten with six wins and 16 goals, a run that has underpinned heavy expectations for Kylian Mbappé and his teammates.
- Spain go into the game still unbeaten and having conceded only one goal in the tournament, a defensive record their coach Luis de la Fuente says underpins their title bid.
- Didier Deschamps has publicly named Spain "the favorite" ahead of the match and pregame coverage is focused on the player duel between Mbappé and 19‑year‑old Lamine Yamal, whom de la Fuente has defended and praised.
- Broad tournament changes from FIFA and IFAB, including an expanded 48‑team format, a seeding‑style bracket that concentrated top nations into the late rounds, expanded VAR checks, stricter anti time‑wasting rules and mandated halftime drinking breaks, have altered match management and the global broadcast conversation around the semifinals.