The first semifinal of the 2026 World Cup was confirmed on Friday evening as Spain edged Belgium 2-1 in California, setting up a meeting with France at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday 14 July. The match, which kicks off at 13:00 local time, pits the reigning European champions against the side that has now reached three consecutive World Cup semifinals. France had booked their place a day earlier with a 2-0 defeat of Morocco in Boston.

Spain’s progress was secured in the 87th minute when Mikel Merino pounced on a rebound after the Belgian goalkeeper parried a shot, sending La Roja into their first World Cup semifinal since they won the tournament in 2010. Fabián Ruiz had given Spain a first-half lead, only for Charles De Ketelaere to equalise before the interval. The late winner maintained Spain’s record of never having lost a World Cup quarter-final. France, by contrast, exerted control throughout against Morocco, with second-half goals from Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé. Mbappé’s strike was his eighth of the tournament and his 20th in World Cup history, drawing him level with Lionel Messi on both counts.

The fixture revives a European rivalry that has been dormant at World Cups for two decades. The only previous meeting at the finals came in the round of 16 in 2006, when France came from behind to win 3-1 in Hanover, with goals from Franck Ribéry, Patrick Vieira and Zinedine Zidane after David Villa’s early penalty. Since that night, the balance of power has shifted decisively. Spain have not lost an official match to France in five encounters, a run that includes a Euro 2024 semifinal victory and a 5-4 win in the 2025 Nations League semifinal. Analysts in European capitals note that France’s last competitive win over Spain remains that 2006 knockout tie.

France arrive in Dallas as the only side to have reached the last four at each of the past three World Cups, a run that includes their 2018 title and a final appearance in 2022. Spain, meanwhile, are contesting only their second World Cup semifinal, having failed to advance beyond the round of 16 in 2014, 2018 and 2022. The contrast in recent tournament pedigree is stark, yet the head-to-head record since 2006 suggests a psychological edge for Luis de la Fuente’s team.

The other semifinal will be determined on Saturday, when Norway face England and Argentina take on Switzerland. The winners of that side of the draw will meet on Wednesday 15 July, with the final scheduled for Sunday 19 July at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. For now, the focus shifts to Texas, where a place in the World Cup final awaits the victor of a contest that pits France’s tournament resilience against Spain’s modern mastery of this fixture.