France and Spain meet in Dallas semi-final with Yamal and Mbappé at the heart of a clash rich in history

A rematch two years in the making

The last time France and Spain met at a major tournament, Lamine Yamal was 16 and scored a goal that has already entered football mythology. His curling shot from 25 yards, off the inside of Mike Maignan’s post, gave Spain a 2-1 win in the Euro 2024 semi-final in Munich. Before that match, France midfielder Adrien Rabiot warned that a game of such magnitude would demand “much more than he has until now” from the teenager. Yamal’s response, shouted into a pitchside camera seconds after scoring, was succinct.

Speak now.

Two years and six days later, on the day Yamal turned 19, Spain trained at the Cotton Bowl while rain clouds gathered over Texas. The old rivals reconvene on Tuesday at 3pm local time at Dallas Stadium, this time for a place in the World Cup final.

Deschamps frees France

After the Euro 2024 exit, France coach Didier Deschamps promised renewal. At 57, the man once derided by Eric Cantona as a “water carrier” has delivered a team that breathes fire. The stodgy, inhibited side that lost to Spain has been replaced by an attack of speed, incision and variety. Nobody at this tournament has matched the sheer quality of France’s forward play, and Deschamps stands on the verge of becoming only the second manager to win the World Cup twice. A positive result in Dallas would vindicate a self-reinvention that has turned him from pragmatic survivor into a genuine attacking force.

Shared streets, shared voice

Beneath the tactical plots, the two forwards embody parallel stories. Yamal grew up in Rocafonda, a working-class district of Mataró, with roots in Morocco and Guinea. Mbappé was raised in Bondy, a multicultural Parisian suburb, the son of a Cameroonian father and Algerian mother. Both became symbols of an inclusive nation while still teenagers. Mbappé, asked about Yamal earlier this year, offered words of caution.

He is a great player, but in life he is an 18-year-old boy. Everyone makes mistakes at that age, he has great talent and he will make his own path. I wish him a lot of luck.

Mbappé has not shied from politics, once warning that “we cannot leave the country in the hands of those people” about the far right. Yamal, too, has publicly condemned racist chants.

Texas as the stage

Arlington, Texas, adds a layer of American peculiarity. The state has hosted 15 World Cup matches, more than either co-host Mexico or Canada, and this will be its last. In Texas, a 19-year-old cannot legally buy a beer or a handgun but can purchase a long gun or assault rifle. That contrast has not gone unnoticed as two teams led by sons of immigrants confront each other. The political undertones of blue and red, the state’s Democratic past and the symbolism of two proudly multicultural nations form an inescapable backdrop.

One step from the final

Spain, under Luis de la Fuente, have built a taut, technical machine that blends youthful flair with experience. The match will pit the tournament’s most potent attack against its meanest defence. For Yamal, a teenager who turned 19 only yesterday, the chance to repeat his Euro 2024 heroics and carry Spain to a first World Cup final since 2010 is within reach. For Mbappé, it is a chance to add a second World Cup and cement Deschamps’ legacy.