France have a truly outrageous front line.Didier Deschamps’ preferred attacking quartet is Kylian Mbappe (eight goals in this tournament), Ousmane Dembele (the reigning world footballer of the year), Michael Olise (one of the standout players at this World Cup) and Desire Doue (scored twice in the 2025 Champions League final). Their bench is not bad either.Good luck to Unai Simon, the Spain goalkeeper.Spain have some wonderful talents of their own, though, including the best teenager in the world, Lamine Yamal. The Barcelona forward helped Spain win the European Championship in 2024 just a day after turning 17. Their midfield is superb, with Rodri pulling the strings and helping Luis de la Fuente’s team pass teams to death on their way to this semi-final.Get free access to the most comprehensive World Cup coverage in The Athletic appThis match at Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium pits the two teams at the top of the world rankings against one another, and the winner will face either England or Argentina in the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.We take a closer look at this game and where it might be decided…What’s the key info I need to know?Round: World Cup semi-final
World rankings: France (FIFA ranking: 1st) vs Spain (2nd)
