Spain World Cup favourites, says France coach Deschamps ahead of semi-final
France coach Didier Deschamps has described Spain as the favourites for the FIFA World Cup 2026 title ahead of their semi-final clash on Tuesday (July 14) in Arlington, Texas.
Speaking on the eve of the match at the AT&T Stadium, Deschamps maintained that his side, beaten by Spain in their last two meetings, will enter the contest as underdogs.
“Forget about the first game against Cape Verde,” Deschamps said, referring to Spain’s opening match which ended in a 0-0 draw. “Ever since then Spain have confirmed that they are the favourites.”
He added: “I don't want to add extra pressure to [Spain coach] Luis [de la Fuente] and their team — he knows very well that people are expecting great things of Spain. But Spain can attack well, and they can defend very well. They've only conceded one goal in the last six or seven matches.”
Spain have progressed steadily through the tournament after the early stumble, while France have impressed with a series of dominant performances.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente dismissed Deschamps’ comments as inconsequential. “Since the beginning, I've always said that the fact that people say we're favourites or not doesn't mean anything,” he said. “It doesn't. It's not decisive.”
He noted that both teams are among the best in the tournament and that his squad is comfortable with the pressure. “Regardless of whether we're favourites or not, it doesn't create additional pressure. We have that pressure anyway. We want to do well for our country.”
Deschamps predicted a spectacular encounter. “With the quality of the two teams offensively, I think we could think that is going to be a spectacular game,” he said.
He also addressed the threat posed by Spain winger Lamine Yamal, who scored against France in the European Championship semi-final in 2024 and the UEFA Nations League last year.
“We know the strength of the opposing team. We have our own strengths,” Deschamps said. “Have I studied Yamal and his assets? Yes, he's one of the players that can really make a difference on the pitch. And all opponents should try to limit the strength of the other team, but we have many solutions. When it comes to one-on-ones it could be tough. But having a one-on-one against some of my players is not an easy task either.”
Deschamps confirmed that France captain Kylian Mbappe, who left the quarter-final win over Morocco late in the second half after a knock, is “100%” fit for the semi-final.
