World Cup 2026 live updates: Spain vs. France is first semifinal match
NBC News Clone summarizes the latest on: Spain France World Cup 2026 July 14 Live Updates Rcna587324 - Sports and Recreation | NBC News Clone. This article is rewritten and presented in a simplified tone for a better reader experience.
Follow live updates and coverage on the 2026 World Cup as Lamine Yamal and Spain look to topple Kylian Mbappé and France, who are seeking their third straight finals appearance.
What to know about the World Cup today
- Spain vs. France is at 3 p.m. ET today. England vs. Argentina is tomorrow at 3 p.m. ET.
- The winner of these two matches will face each other in Sunday's final.
- Matches are on Telemundo and Peacock.
- Sign up for The Sports Desk newsletter for daily recaps, previews and analysis.
Yamal: France should be scared of Spain
After Spain's quarterfinal win over Belgium, superstar Spanish teenaged striker Lamine Yamal said that "if France should fear anyone, it’s us,” Yamal told reporters.
“We have knocked them out (during 2024 European Championships, and 2024-25 Nations League), we have beat them two times," Yamal said. "Honestly, I think we’re the two best teams at the World Cup, so we’ll see what happens, but we do not have any fear.”
French midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery shrugged off the 19-year-old's words when asked about them at a press conference Monday.
Kylian Mbappé of France is challenged by Lamine Yamal of Spain during the UEFA Nations League 2025 semifinal match in 2025. Maciej Rogowski / Getty Images
"Lamine has extraordinary qualities, he can do anything, to shoot he ball, to dribble, to pass the ball. But we also have our qualities," Zaire-Emery said Monday, via a translator. " … It’s a collective sport and before talking about Lamine Yamal we should talk about all of Spain. They have world-class players on all positions and the same goes for our squad."
Asked later if he thought Yamal's declaration was excessive, Zaire-Emery again tried to move past making a declaration hismelf.
"We're the French national team. we're not scared of anybody," he said.
In knockout matches, Mbappé is king
Of the record-tying 20 goals that Kylian Mbappé has scored in World Cup history, 12 have come in knockout-stage games, itself a record. The only players to come close to that knockout-stage goal total are Brazil's Ronaldo and Leonidas, with eight.
"In these types of setting and games he’s there, he knows how to play," French midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery said, via a translator Monday. "And it’s true that he does not want to lose against Spain. He will do everything he can."
France's Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring his team's first goal against Morocco on July 9. Odd Andersen / AFP via Getty Images
How to bet France vs. Spain
Drew Dinsick explains how to bet on what he calls the "de facto" final between Spain and France, two powerhouses with star attacking talent and strong defenses.
France holding World Cup winning streak against European foes
The French have won their last seven games in the tournament against teams from Europe, a run that is part of broader success that has seen Les Bleus win 15 of their last 17 international matches.
Meanwhile, Spain has won six of its last seven matches played in the knockout round against European opponents. The only loss came during the 2018 World Cup's round of 16, a loss to Russia on penalty kicks.
All four semifinalists are previous World Cup winners
France (1998, 2018), Spain (2010), Argentina (1978, 1986, 2022 and England (1966) have all previously won the World Cup, making it one of the few times in tournament history that each semifinalist is a winner.
The only other times it has happened was 1970 (Brazil-Uruguay, Italhy-West Germany) and 1990 (Argentina-Italy, West Germany-England).
