France vs Spain Semifinal: Where to Watch, Odds & Prediction

France and Spain meet at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Tuesday, 14 July 2026 — Bastille Day — in World Cup 2026 Semi-final Match 101, with kickoff at 14:00 (2:00 PM) CT. This is a rematch of the Euro 2024 semi-final, which Spain won 2-1 on their way to the European title, and a place in the World Cup Final is on the line. Below you will find a country-by-country guide to where you can watch, the latest odds, and a full match prediction.

Where to Watch France vs Spain — by Region

Coverage rights vary significantly depending on where you are in the world. The map below takes you from the three host nations through Europe and into the Arab world. Channel allocations can change, so confirm your local listing before kickoff.

Host Nations

USA: English-language coverage sits with FOX and FS1, which hold rights to all 104 matches — around 70 are available free over-the-air on FOX, with the remainder on FS1. Spanish-language viewers can catch the match free on Telemundo or Universo (92 matches free on Telemundo). For streaming, the FOX Sports App and FOX One carry the English feed, while Peacock is the exclusive Spanish-language streaming home. Tubi offers select free matches. Pay-TV and virtual MVPD options include Fubo, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Stream, and Sling. For the sharpest picture, FOX One delivers a 4K/HDR feed in the USA — the best way to experience this match at home.

Canada: Bell Media holds rights to all 104 matches. English-speaking fans can watch on TSN, with select matches free-to-air on CTV. French-speaking viewers are served by RDS. Streaming options are TSN+, the RDS app, and Crave.

Mexico: TelevisaUnivision (Canal 5 / TUDN) and TV Azteca broadcast free-to-air. Sky Sports Mexico carries the match on pay-TV. Streaming is available via ViX — 32 matches free, all 104 with ViX Premium — and Blue To Go.

Europe

United Kingdom and Ireland: In the UK, BBC and ITV share free-to-air rights across all 104 matches. You can stream on BBC iPlayer or ITVX at no extra cost. In Ireland, RTE broadcasts free-to-air with the RTE Player available for streaming.

Germany: MagentaTV is the primary rights holder, with ARD and ZDF carrying selected matches free-to-air for German audiences.

Spain: Spanish fans can watch on RTVE free-to-air. Pay-TV coverage is available via Mediapro and DAZN.

France: TF1 and M6 carry the match free-to-air. beIN SPORTS France holds additional pay-TV rights for French subscribers.

Portugal: RTP, SIC, and TVI all broadcast free-to-air, with RTP Play available for online streaming.

Arab World and MENA

beIN SPORTS holds exclusive rights across 24 countries in the region, broadcasting all 104 matches in Arabic, English, and French across beIN SPORTS MAX 1-6 and a dedicated 4K HDR channel — the clearest picture available anywhere in the MENA region. Streaming is available via beIN CONNECT and TOD by beIN. Live free-to-air coverage is not available in most markets, including Saudi Arabia, so a beIN subscription is the standard route for fans across the Arab world.

Asia-Pacific

Australia: SBS holds free-to-air rights to all 104 matches. SBS on Demand is available for online streaming at no extra charge.

Best Way to Watch — Picture, Apps and Multiview

If picture quality matters to you, seek out the 4K/HDR feeds. In the USA, FOX One delivers the match in 4K/HDR through the FOX Sports App. MENA viewers on beIN SPORTS can access a dedicated 4K HDR channel via beIN CONNECT or TOD by beIN. For the most convenient experience, download your region's official app before kickoff: the FOX Sports App (USA, English), Peacock (USA, Spanish), TSN+ or the RDS app (Canada), BBC iPlayer or ITVX (UK), RTE Player (Ireland), RTP Play (Portugal), beIN CONNECT or TOD (MENA), and SBS on Demand (Australia). All of these are official, licensed routes — the only ones worth using.

France vs Spain Match Preview

This is one of the most eagerly anticipated semi-finals in recent World Cup history, and the narrative writes itself. Spain knocked France out at this exact stage of Euro 2024 with a 2-1 win, Lamine Yamal's curling wonder-goal among the highlights. France arrive in Arlington looking for revenge and a place in a third consecutive World Cup Final, having reached the last four in 2018, 2022, and now 2026.

Spain enter as the reigning European champions. They set a record World Cup clean-sheet run of six straight shutouts before Belgium's Charles De Ketelaere finally breached Unai Simon's goal in the quarter-final. That Spain still won 2-1 — with Mikel Merino coming off the bench to score the winner, his second match-winning substitute goal of the knockout stage — underlines their resilience.

France's route to the semi-final reads 3-0 against Sweden, 1-0 against Paraguay, and 2-0 against Morocco. Kylian Mbappe leads the Golden Boot race with 8 goals and 3 assists, while Ousmane Dembele has contributed 5 goals. Together their combined 13 goals equal the biggest such French duo haul at a World Cup since Ronaldo and Rivaldo for Brazil in 2002.

Tactically, this is a fascinating collision. Didier Deschamps sets France in a compact 4-2-3-1 built for devastating transitions through Mbappe, Dembele, Michael Olise, and Bradley Barcola. Luis de la Fuente's Spain play a possession-dominant 4-3-3 with Rodri as the single pivot, Pedri and Merino as advanced eights, and Yamal and Nico Williams stretching play on the flanks. The key individual duels are Yamal against France's left-back channel, Mbappe's pace against Spain's high defensive line, and the Rodri-Pedri axis against the French double pivot of Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga.

Recent France-Spain meetings have been open and high-scoring — a 2-1 Euro 2024 semi-final and a 5-4 Nations League encounter in 2025 — which suggests this record-breaking Spain defence may face its sternest test yet.

France vs Spain Semifinal Odds

Odds are correct at time of writing and subject to change. The three 1X2 implied probabilities sum to more than 100%, reflecting the bookmaker margin. France are the marginal favourites at 2.40, with Spain and the draw closely priced at 3.10 and 3.20 respectively — a near-even heavyweight contest that reflects how tight this tie genuinely is. Opta's pre-quarter-final supercomputer rated France the overall title favourite at approximately 27.3%, with Spain second at approximately 21.3%.

France vs Spain Semifinal Predictions

Best Bet: France to win (2.40)
France are the implied favourites at 42% and carry genuine reason for optimism. Mbappe is in the form of his life with 8 goals in the tournament, and France's transition speed is precisely the weapon to punish Spain's high defensive line. Deschamps has navigated every knockout round without extra time, and this France squad carries the kind of attacking depth — Mbappe, Dembele, Olise, Barcola — that no side in the tournament has been able to contain for 90 minutes. The Euro 2024 defeat provides additional motivation on Bastille Day.

Value Bet: Both Teams to Score — Yes
Spain's record clean-sheet run ended against Belgium, and France's attack averaging around 2.5 goals per game in this tournament is the most dangerous they have faced. The last two France-Spain meetings produced 2-1 and 5-4 scorelines. Even against Spain's historically low expected-goals-against of approximately 0.30 per game in this World Cup, France's volume and pace on the counter make both teams scoring a live outcome. This feels undervalued given the defensive records on paper.

Longshot Bet: Mikel Merino to Score Anytime
Merino has scored the decisive goal in both the Round of 16 and the quarter-final as a substitute. His late runs into the box and his record as Spain's most clutch match-winner in this tournament make him a compelling anytime scorer at what should be an attractive price, even if he starts on the bench again.

France Form and Key Players

France's knockout route has been authoritative: 3-0 against Sweden, 1-0 against Paraguay via a Mbappe penalty, and 2-0 against Morocco with Mbappe scoring and setting up Dembele. Deschamps' 4-2-3-1 is built around a compact defensive block and rapid transitions, with the "Fantastic Four" of Mbappe, Dembele, Olise, and Barcola providing the cutting edge.

Kylian Mbappe leads the Golden Boot race with 8 goals and 3 assists. He is France's captain, penalty taker, and primary creative force. Mbappe and Dembele's combined 13 goals equal the biggest such duo haul by a French pair at a World Cup since Ronaldo and Rivaldo for Brazil in 2002. Dembele has contributed 5 goals; Barcola has added 2. Tchouameni and Camavinga provide the midfield platform. One note to monitor: Mbappe picked up a minor ankle knock against Morocco and was substituted in the 77th minute, though he has confirmed he is fit to start. Confirm the team sheet on match eve.

France's strength is their elite attacking depth and transition speed. Their relative weakness is defensive openness compared to Spain — they have conceded more frequently and can be drawn into tight, stretched games.

Spain Form and Key Players

Spain have been the tournament's most defensively disciplined side, keeping six consecutive World Cup clean sheets before Belgium's De Ketelaere scored in the quarter-final. They still won that game 2-1, with Fabian Ruiz opening the scoring and Merino coming off the bench to settle it. Their possession-dominant 4-3-3 is built around Rodri as the single pivot, Pedri as the tempo-setter, and the electric wide pair of Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams.

Yamal, 18, is Spain's standout creator and scorer — he scored the wonder-goal in the Euro 2024 semi-final against France. Mikel Oyarzabal is Spain's top scorer in this tournament with around 4 goals. Merino has been the defining super-sub, scoring match-winners in consecutive knockout rounds. Fabian Ruiz contributed a goal against Belgium. Unai Simon's clean-sheet record, though now ended, remains the benchmark for this World Cup's goalkeepers.

Spain's strength is their elite midfield control, record-low goals conceded, and a depth of clutch match-winners. Their potential vulnerability is France's pace on the counter against a high defensive line — precisely the scenario Deschamps will look to engineer.

Head-to-Head Record

All-time across 38 meetings, Spain lead with 18 wins to France's 13, with 7 draws. In competitive matches only, the record favours France (6 wins, 4 draws, 2 losses), though Spain have dominated recent encounters.

The most relevant recent meetings are the Euro 2024 semi-final — Spain 2-1 France, with Yamal's curling wonder-goal and a Dani Olmo strike cancelling out Randal Kolo Muani's goal for France, Spain going on to win the European title — and the 2025 Nations League semi-final, which Spain won 5-4 in an extraordinary open game, with Yamal scoring twice. Further back, Spain beat France 2-0 in the Euro 2012 quarter-final, while France won 3-1 in the 2006 World Cup Round of 16 and 2-0 in the Euro 1984 final, which was France's first major international title.

The pattern from recent meetings is clear: these sides produce goals. The 2-1 and 5-4 scorelines from the last two competitive encounters point strongly toward an open, high-scoring contest despite both teams' defensive credentials in this tournament.

Popular Betting Options

With France priced at 2.40 and Spain at 3.10, the 1X2 market is the natural starting point, but the depth of markets available for a World Cup semi-final goes well beyond match result. Player props are among the most popular for this fixture: Mbappe's anytime scorer and first scorer markets attract significant volume given his 8-goal tournament tally, while Dembele's anytime scorer price reflects his 5-goal contribution. For Spain, Oyarzabal's anytime scorer, Yamal's involvement markets, and Merino's anytime scorer as a potential super-sub are among the most-followed. Both Teams to Score and the Over/Under 2.5 goals market are live given the recent history between these sides. Comparing prices across multiple licensed operators before placing any bet is the best way to ensure you are getting the most competitive line available.

Betting Tips

• France to win in 90 minutes (2.40): The implied probability is 42%, and France's transition threat via Mbappe and Dembele is the most potent attacking unit in this tournament. Their motivation on Bastille Day, seeking revenge for the Euro 2024 semi-final defeat, adds further weight.
• Both Teams to Score — Yes: Spain's clean-sheet run has ended. France's attacking output of around 2.5 goals per game makes them the most dangerous side Spain have faced. The last two France-Spain competitive meetings produced 2-1 and 5-4. This market deserves serious consideration.
• Mikel Merino Anytime Scorer: Two match-winning goals from the bench in consecutive knockout rounds. If he starts on the bench again, his introduction is among the most dangerous moments Spain can produce. A longshot worth including in a combination.
• Kylian Mbappe Anytime Scorer: 8 goals in the tournament, the Golden Boot leader, and France's designated penalty taker. The implied probability in the France win market is 42% — Mbappe's anytime scorer market should be a core selection in any France-backed combination.
• Over 2.5 Goals: The last two competitive meetings between these sides produced 3 and 9 goals respectively. Even accounting for Spain's defensive record, France's volume attack and the knockout stakes make this market worth exploring at competitive prices.

Odds subject to change. Please gamble responsibly — BeGambleAware.org. 18+ only.

The Biggest Match of the Summer

France vs Spain on 14 July 2026 at AT&T Stadium is not just a World Cup semi-final. It is a Bastille Day grudge match between two of world football's elite nations, a rematch of the Euro 2024 semi-final, and a contest between the tournament's leading title favourite and the reigning European champions. Mbappe versus Yamal. Transition versus possession. Revenge versus redemption. Wherever you are watching from, confirm your local broadcaster before kickoff and make sure you do not miss a moment.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I watch France vs Spain in the USA, Canada or Mexico?
In the USA, watch in English on FOX or FS1, or in Spanish free on Telemundo or Universo. Streaming options include the FOX Sports App, FOX One, Peacock (Spanish exclusive), Fubo, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Stream, and Sling. In Canada, TSN (English) and RDS (French) carry the match, with CTV showing select games free-to-air; streaming is on TSN+, the RDS app, and Crave. In Mexico, Canal 5/TUDN and TV Azteca broadcast free-to-air, with Sky Sports Mexico on pay-TV and ViX or Blue To Go for streaming.

Is the match free-to-air in the UK or elsewhere in Europe?
Yes. In the UK, BBC and ITV share free-to-air rights, with BBC iPlayer and ITVX available for streaming. In Ireland, RTE broadcasts free-to-air via the RTE Player. In France, TF1 and M6 are free-to-air. In Portugal, RTP, SIC, and TVI all carry the match free-to-air. In Germany, ARD and ZDF show selected matches free-to-air alongside pay-TV rights holder MagentaTV. In Spain, RTVE is the free-to-air broadcaster.

How do fans in the Middle East and North Africa watch the match?
beIN SPORTS holds exclusive rights across 24 countries in the MENA region, broadcasting in Arabic, English, and French on beIN SPORTS MAX 1-6 and in 4K HDR. Streaming is available via beIN CONNECT and TOD by beIN. There is no free-to-air live coverage in most markets, including Saudi Arabia, so a beIN subscription is the standard route.

What time is kickoff in local time?
Kickoff is at 14:00 (2:00 PM) CT, which is the local venue time at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Always confirm on fifa.com ahead of the match.