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Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente believes both his team and France have improved since the last clash. He described the semi-final of the FIFA World Cup 2026 to be held on Tuesday as a match which is like a final. Speaking to journalists ahead of the big match, de la Fuente acknowledged the quality of the French team, but also expressed confidence in Spain's progress. De la Fuente said, 'I think France now is better than the team we faced last time. They've been a better team since then, but we've also gotten better. Tomorrow's match could be the World Cup final.

The Spanish coach said that his team will play the semi-finals differently than in previous matches, while also working on the aspects that have worked in their favour. He further said, 'The situation we are in is a matter of good fortune. Tomorrow we will play a very different match from the Nations League match. We will try to repeat the conditions which were beneficial for us.

'Suffering is necessary for great achievement': De La Fuente

Citing the example of Julius Caesar, de la Fuente also stressed that reaching the World Cup final will require patience and sacrifice. He said, 'Julius Caesar had said that 'no great achievement is achieved without suffering.' If you want to achieve something in life, you always have to leave something behind along the way. This is the semi-final of the World Cup. We are ready to suffer.

Journey of both teams till semi-finals

spain's invincible campaign

Spain have entered the semi-finals in great form after defeating Belgium 2-1 in the quarter-finals. Fabian Ruiz and substitute Mikel Merino scored for La Roja, while Lamin Yamal was named player of the match. With this win, Spain has extended its unbeaten run to 36 matches.

Strong performance by France

France, on the other hand, have produced the most brilliant and controlled knockout-stage campaign of the four remaining teams. After topping Group I, they started the knockout rounds with an impressive 3–0 win over Sweden in the Round of 32.

They then defeated Paraguay 1-0 in a tough match in the round of 16 and then defeated Morocco 2-0 in the quarter-finals to secure their place in the last four. Les Blues have scored six goals in the knockout stage without conceding a goal, which shows their defense and control under pressure. Even in tight matches, their structure has remained strong, while France captain Kylian Mbappe has continued to show his edge in attack when needed.