Sports
France face Spain in World Cup semi-final two years after Euro 2024 exit
July 14, 2026 at 12:27 AM · Updated 95d ago
Coverage
6 reports · 1 in Arabic, 5 in English · over 14 hours
France midfielder Warren Zaïre-Emery said the team seeks revenge for their Euro 2024 semi-final loss, while coach Didier Deschamps downplayed that motivation.
- Warren Zaïre-Emery said France wants to win against Spain and exact revenge for the Euro 2024 semi-final defeat.
- Didier Deschamps said there is no revenge and the past is in the past, focusing only on the World Cup semi-final.
- Deschamps confirmed Kylian Mbappé is fit for the match, having trained despite an ankle knock sustained against Morocco.
- Deschamps said Spain are the favourites for the tie, adding that he does not want to add extra pressure on Spain coach Luis de la Fuente.
Latest developments
- Lamine Yamal turned 19 on the eve of the World Cup semi-final and said he wants a win against France as a birthday present.
- Yamal insisted he feels no pressure ahead of the high-stakes match, appearing relaxed and confident in the pre-match press conference.
- Didier Deschamps said France intends to compete for possession rather than sit back and counterattack, setting up a midfield battle against Spain.





