When is it? How can you watch it? What are the possible line-ups?
Spain and France meet in the Semi-Final at UEFA EURO 2024.
Spain and France at a glance
When: Wednesday 10 July (03:00 GMT+8 kick-off)
Where: Munich Football Arena, Munich
What: UEFA EURO 2024 Semi-Final
What do you need to know?
A mouth-watering clash between two titans of European football awaits in Munich. Spain have lit up the tournament so far, and are the only team to win all five of their games. They are also joint-top in number of goals (11) and top on total attempts (102) and balls recovered (230), demonstrating how impressive they have been both going forward and defensively. “My players are insatiable,” beamed coach Luis de la Fuente after the quarter-final win over Germany. “There’s always room for improvement, of course, but we can’t question their pride, quality and commitment.”
Standing in La Roja’s way, though, are a solid France side who have kept four clean sheets in their five matches so far. Les Bleus are aiming for a fourth major tournament final in the last eight years (after reaching the EURO 2016 showpiece and the 2018 and 2022 World Cup finals) – an incredible record which attests to their reservoir of big-game experience. “We’re in the semi-finals and it’s something we shouldn’t take for granted, even if we may be used to it recently,” said coach Didier Deschamps after the quarter-final victory over Portugal. “Now we go to win it.”
Possible line-ups
Spain: Unai Simón: Navas, Nacho, Laporte, Cucurella; Olmo, Rodri, Fabián Ruiz; Lamine Yamal, Morata, Williams
Suspended: Carvajal, Le Normand
France: Maignan; Koundé, Saliba, Upamecano, Hernández; Kanté, Tchouaméni, Camavinga, Griezmann; Kolo Muani, Mbappé
Route to the semi-finals
Spain
Group B
3-0 vs Croatia (Morata 29, Fabián Ruiz 32, Carvajal 45+2)
1-0 vs Italy (Calafiori og 55)
1-0 vs Albania (Ferran Torres 13)
Round of 16
4-1 vs Georgia (Rodri 39, Fabián Ruiz 51, Williams 75, Olmo 83; Le Normand og 18)
Quarter-final
2-1 vs Germany aet (Dani Olmo 51, Merino 119; Wirtz 89)
France
Group D
1-0 vs Austria (Wöber og 38)
0-0 vs Netherlands
1-1 vs Poland (Mbappé 56 pen; Lewandowski 79 pen)
Round of 16
1-0 vs Belgium (Vertonghen og 85)
Quarter-finals
0-0 aet, 5-3 pens vs Portugal
Expert predictions
Graham Hunter, Spain reporter
You don’t win major trophies without somehow passing tests like this. On current form it’s arguable Spain would be favourites to avenge their 2021 UEFA Nations League final loss. La Roja have been winning, scoring freely and convincing in a way Les Bleus have perhaps not quite yet managed. Luis de la Fuente must cope without Dani Carvajal, Robin Le Normand and Pedri, however. Time for the extraordinary experience of 38-year-old Jesús Navas to come to the fore? There is also in-form goalkeeper Unai Simón and, of course, Spain’s thrilling, youthful wingers Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal. This is a test Spain can pass with flying colours.
Alex Clementson, France reporter
While much of the narrative post-Portugal has centred on France’s continued struggles going forward, solace will be taken from the side’s nigh-on impenetrable defensive unit. Solid foundations prevent you losing, but there’s an admittance within the camp that a formula for offensive fluidity needs concocting. A third semi-final in Les Bleus’ last four major competitions is a record few can match, and that winning mentality will stand them in good stead against a formidable-looking Spanish outfit.
Views from the camps
Luis de la Fuente, Spain coach: “We can all see the trajectories which have brought these teams here and what those trajectories say. But this is an entirely new, different match. [France] are full of players who usually score frequently and we don’t want that to start again tomorrow.”
Didier Deschamps, France coach: “[Spain] have had the best EURO so far and have left the best impression after every game. All Spain teams have always had a good midfield who are able to control games. Rodri in particular is essential to the Spanish team, but all their players are important.”