Mbappé and Yamal collide as France meet Spain for a World Cup final place

France vs Spain, the semi-final is here

Tuesday, 21:00. France face Spain for a place in the World Cup final (1). It is the game everyone wanted. Mbappé against Yamal. The Spanish press are calling Mbappé "the Tourmalet", the mountain you cannot climb (6). The whole football world is watching (2) (4).

Yamal turns 19 on matchday, and wants a win

Lamine Yamal celebrates his 19th birthday today. He knows exactly what he wants. "What I want as a present is a win," he said (7). Spain's coach Luis de la Fuente gave his winger space to mark the day with a kickabout and some downtime before the match (7). Yamal also responded to the racism controversy around Mbappé ahead of the semi-final, making clear that kind of thing has no place in football (8).

Yamal's confidence: "Their attacking power helps us"

Yamal is not hiding. He told RMC Sport that France's offensive firepower could actually work in Spain's favour: "Their attacking power could be an advantage for us" (5). The teenager is relaxed. Asked about the semi-final pressure, he simply said: "Why not?" (3). No fear from the kid.

Fan reactions

Your fans are locking in. Deschamps called Spain "the favourite" before the Senegal match, and at the semi-final press conference he doubled down: "The big favourite is Spain, I have no doubt about that." The mind games are fully underway. Mbappé is reportedly 100% fit, which is exactly what you want to hear on the morning of a World Cup semi-final. Join the discussion here.