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France vs Spain in Dallas semifinal; Mbappé ties Golden Boot

7/11/2026

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Summary

Story summary

France and Spain will meet in the semifinal at Dallas Stadium on Tuesday, July 14 2026, kickoff 2 p.m. CT.
France entered the semifinal unbeaten at 6-0 while Kylian Mbappé tied the Golden Boot with eight goals.
Spain earned the semifinal after a 2-1 win over Belgium sealed by Mikel Merino’s 88th-minute goal, with goalkeeper Unai Simón posting a 649-minute clean-sheet record.

History

Historical Context

On 12 July 1998 France hosted the World Cup final at the 80,000-seat Stade de France, beating defending champions Brazil 3-0 before an estimated 1.3 billion TV viewers. The tournament marked the first use of a 32-team format, expanding the competition and setting the stage for France’s Euro 2000 triumph and Europe’s continued dominance in later editions.

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Story summary

France and Spain will meet in the semifinal at Dallas Stadium on Tuesday, July 14 2026, kickoff 2 p.m. CT.
France entered the semifinal unbeaten at 6-0 while Kylian Mbappé tied the Golden Boot with eight goals.
Spain earned the semifinal after a 2-1 win over Belgium sealed by Mikel Merino’s 88th-minute goal, with goalkeeper Unai Simón posting a 649-minute clean-sheet record.

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