All eyes are turning to the anticipated clash in the semi-final of the 2026 World Cup, currently being held in the United States of America, Canada, and Mexico, when the Spanish national team meets its French counterpart in a match to be held at "Dallas" Stadium.
The Spanish national team qualified for the semi-finals after defeating the Belgian national team 2-1, while the French national team qualified after overcoming the Moroccan national team 2-0.
Key records expected in the France vs Spain match
Spain one match away from equaling the world record
The Spanish national team is one match away from equaling the world record for the longest unbeaten streak, held by the Italian national team with 37 matches, if it avoids defeat against France during regular or extra time in the 2026 World Cup semi-final.
"La Roja" secured a 2-1 victory over Belgium in the quarter-finals, reaching the World Cup semi-finals for the second time in its history and extending its unbeaten streak to 36 matches across all competitions, excluding matches decided by penalties.
This figure represents the best unbeaten streak in the history of the Spanish national team, placing it just one match away from equaling the record set by the Italian national team between 2018 and 2021, the period during which it won the European Championship "Euro 2020".
The Spanish national team has not suffered any defeat since losing to Colombia in March 2024, and a draw or win against France during regular or extra time would be enough to equal the Italian national team's achievement.
France targeting a historic European achievement
The French national team has the opportunity to write a new chapter in World Cup history, as it could become only the second European team to achieve seven consecutive victories in the tournament, after the Italian national team that accomplished this between the 1934 and 1938 editions.
If "Les Bleus" succeed in defeating Spain in the semi-final, they will equal the European record held by the Italian national team, which achieved seven consecutive victories in the World Cup during its journey to winning the 1934 and 1938 titles.
The French national team reached the semi-finals after achieving a perfect record in the tournament so far, topping Group Nine with victories over Senegal, Iraq, and Norway, before overcoming Sweden, Paraguay, and Morocco in the knockout stages, keeping a clean sheet in all those matches.
France's brilliance is not limited to the World Cup only, as the team is on a remarkable streak of 13 matches without defeat across all competitions, during which it secured 12 victories, since its surprising 4-5 loss to Spain in the UEFA Nations League in June 2025.
Mbappé chasing Messi's historic World Cup achievement
French star Kylian Mbappé needs just one goal to equal the record held by Lionel Messi, totaling 21 goals in World Cup history.
Mbappé currently shares the top of the 2026 World Cup scoring charts with 8 goals alongside Messi, giving him the chance to claim the Golden Boot outright when France faces Spain in the semi-final, and scoring would also allow him to equal the Argentine star's historic tally.
Mbappé has an impressive record in the World Cup knockout stages, having scored 12 goals, including 4 in 3 matches in the 2026 edition's knockout rounds. However, the semi-final remains the only stage of the World Cup in which he has yet to score.
Olise closing in on equaling Pelé's historic record
Frenchman Michael Olise needs just one assist to equal the record held by Brazilian legend Pelé, with 6 assists in a single World Cup edition, achieved at the 1970 World Cup.
Olise continues to lead the list of top assist providers at the 2026 World Cup, having provided 5 assists in the first six matches he played with the French national team, placing him just one assist away from equaling Pelé's historic achievement.
Spain imposing dominance over France ahead of the semi-final clash
The Spanish national team enters the 2026 World Cup semi-final with a clear advantage in recent head-to-head encounters against France, having won 7 of the last 10 matches between the two teams.
Overall, the two teams have met in 38 matches, with Spain securing 18 victories compared to 13 for France, while 7 matches ended in draws.
France chasing a historic achievement by reaching a third consecutive final
The French national team has the opportunity to enter World Cup history in a big way, as it could become only the third team to reach three consecutive finals in the tournament if it overcomes Spain in the semi-final.
"Les Bleus" are aiming to reach the World Cup final for the fifth time in their history, coming behind Germany (8 finals), Brazil (7), and Italy and Argentina (6 each).
France had reached the 2018 World Cup final and won the title, then reached the 2022 final as runners-up, placing them one step away from joining Germany and Brazil as the first three teams to achieve the feat of reaching three consecutive finals in World Cup history.
Oyarzabal chasing the achievement of Butragueño and David Villa
Spanish national team striker Mikel Oyarzabal is just one goal away from equaling the record for the most goals scored by a Spanish player in a single World Cup edition, held by Emilio Butragueño at the 1986 World Cup and David Villa at the 2010 edition, with 5 goals each.
Oyarzabal is delivering an exceptional tournament at the 2026 World Cup, having topped the Spanish national team's scoring list with 4 goals in 6 matches, including a brace against Saudi Arabia and another against Austria.
If he scores against France in the semi-final, Oyarzabal will become only the third player in Spain's history to reach the 5-goal mark in a single World Cup edition, joining the historic duo of Emilio Butragueño and David Villa.
Merino... Spain's trump card chasing a historic achievement
Spaniard Mikel Merino has the opportunity to enter World Cup history, as he could become only the third player to score goals in three consecutive matches in which he participates as a substitute in a single edition of the tournament.
Merino played the role of "savior" for the Spanish national team in the last two matches, coming off the bench to score the winning goals against Portugal in the round of 16 and then against Belgium in the quarter-finals.
The midfielder hopes these performances will earn him a starting spot against France in the semi-final, but if he starts on the bench again, he will have the chance to achieve a historic feat by scoring in his third consecutive appearance as a substitute.
Belgian Romelu Lukaku had previously achieved this feat at the 2026 World Cup, making Merino a candidate to join this rare list if he continues his brilliance against the French national team.
Deschamps set for a new World Cup record
Didier Deschamps is preparing to write his name alone in the World Cup records, as he will lead the French national team in his 26th match as a coach in the tournament, claiming sole possession of the record for the most matches coached in World Cup history.
Deschamps had equaled the record held by German Helmut Schön after coaching his 25th World Cup match during France's 2-0 victory over Morocco in the quarter-finals.
The French coach did not stop at equaling Schön's record in terms of matches but also strengthened his personal record as the coach with the most victories in World Cup history, raising his tally to 20 wins.
With the match against Spain in the semi-final, Deschamps will claim sole possession of the top spot on the list of coaches with the most appearances in World Cup history, a new achievement reflecting his exceptional career with the French national team.
De la Fuente continues to make history with Spain
Spain national team coach Luis de la Fuente continues to deliver exceptional numbers, as he has the opportunity to extend his unbeaten record in major tournaments to 14 consecutive matches when he faces France in the 2026 World Cup semi-final.
De la Fuente has not suffered any defeat in the first 13 matches he has coached the Spanish national team in the European Championship and World Cup, confirming his great success since taking charge of "La Roja".
The Spanish coach led his country to the Euro 2024 title after a streak of 7 matches without defeat, before continuing his brilliance in his first World Cup participation by guiding Spain through the first 6 matches of the current tournament without a loss.
If Spain defeats France, it will become the first European team in history to achieve 8 consecutive victories in the knockout stages of major tournaments, adding another historic achievement to de la Fuente's record.
