Route to the semi-final
France have had a trouble-free journey to their third straight World Cup semi-final, having won all six of their games so far and scoring 16 goals along the way.
The potent attack of Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise has lived up to its pre-tournament billing, while names like Desire Doue and Rayan Cherki are ready to come off the bench if anything does go wrong.
Spain will play France and England face Argentina for a spot in the 2026 Fifa World Cup final. Photo / Getty Images
France swept aside group stage opponents Senegal, Iraq and Norway by scorelines of 3-1, 3-0 and 4-1 and made light work of Sweden in the Round of 32.
Their toughest match came against Paraguay in the Round of 16 as a Mbappe penalty saw them into a quarter-final fixture with Morocco that the Europeans won 2-0.
Spain started their tournament with a surprise 0-0 draw against Cape Verde, but turned that slight scare around by beating Saudi Arabia 4-0 and Uruguay 1-0.
Their Round of 32 match was Spain’s easiest knockout game, dispatching Austria 3-0.
The two matches that followed both needed Arsenal’s Mikel Merino to make a heroic cameo, with Merino scoring in the 90th minute to send Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal home and then two minutes before the end of normal time in the quarter-final to knock Belgium out.
The teams meet in Dallas for the first time since a thriller in Stuttgart last year.
Star players
Kylian Mbappé has grabbed headlines throughout the tournament thanks to his goal-scoring prowess, having put the ball in the net eight times so far.
His link-up play with 2025 Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele and tournament assist leader Michael Olise has been a force to be reckoned with.
Meanwhile, one of Spain’s biggest names, Lamine Yamal, hasn’t found his best form yet after coming into the tournament off a hamstring injury.
However, other players have stepped up to put in solid performances to help their side progress, including Manchester City’s Rodri, Arsenal’s Mikel Merino (mainly off the bench) and Mikel Oyarzabal, who has been Spain’s top scorer with four goals.
France v Spain history
Played – 38
Spain won – 18
France won – 13
Draws – 7
Last five meetings
2025 – Spain 5 France 4, Uefa Nations League semi-final, Stuttgart
2024 – Spain 2 France 1, Uefa Euro semi-final, Munich
2021 – Spain 1 France 2, Uefa Nations League final, Milan
2013 – France 0 Spain 1, 2014 Fifa World Cup qualification, Paris
2012 – Spain 1 France 1, 2014 Fifa World Cup qualification, Madrid
Where to watch
The match will kick off at 7am NZT and is available to watch with a TVNZ+ event pass.
England v Argentina, Thursday July 16, 7am NZT
Route to the semi-final
England couldn’t have had a better start to the World Cup, flying out of the blocks with a 4-2 win over European rivals Croatia, but have since had a mixed bag of performances.
Ghana held them to a painful 0-0 draw before they put in another tame performance to beat Panama 2-1 and finish top of their group.
DR Congo gave them a scare in their Round of 32 fixture, going ahead early in the contest before captain Harry Kane came through with two goals to secure their progress.
England then produced what might end up being the game of the tournament against Mexico, coming away with a 3-2 victory at the Azteca while also going down to 10 men.
They were then able to fight their way to a 2-1 victory over Norway, which had to be settled in extra time.
Argentina could be perceived as having one of the easier routes to the semi-final, but they’ve managed to make hard work of defending their crown.
They performed well in the group stage with 3-0, 2-0 and 3-1 wins over Algeria, Austria and Jordan, but have not had as easy a time in the knockout rounds.
Cape Verde took the South Americans to extra time in the Round of 32, while three goals in the dying minutes of their Round of 16 match against Egypt secured their passage to the quarter-final.
A 10-man Switzerland took Argentina to extra time again, but a Julian Alvarez wonder goal and another from Lautaro Martinez allowed for Argentina to face England for the first time in 21 years, this time in Atlanta.
Star players
Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane and Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham have spearheaded England’s attack this tournament, scoring six goals each.
Barcelona’s new winger Anthony Gordon has popped up with three assists, while the Premier League midfield duo of Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson have helped to keep the midfield solid.
The 39-year-old Messi is showing no signs of slowing down for his country, having scored eight goals so far.
However, Julian Alvarez has shown his class when called upon, while Lautaro Matinez and Enzo Fernandez have been key players in their attack.
England v Argentina history
Played – 14
England won – 6
Argentina won – 2
Draws – 5
Last five meetings
2005 – England 3 Argentina 2, friendly, Geneva
2002 – England 1 Argentina 0, 2002 Fifa World Cup, Sapporo
2000 – England 0 Argentina 0, friendly, London
1998 – Argentina 2 England 2 (Arg win 4-3 on penalties), 1998 World Cup, Saint-Etienne
1991 – England 2 Argentina 2, Challenge Cup, London
Where to watch
The match will kick off at 7am NZT and is available to watch on TV1, TVNZ+ and with a TVNZ+ event pass.
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