Spain’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal will carry a perfect knockout-stage record against France captain Kylian Mbappé into their highly anticipated FIFA World Cup semi-final, adding another compelling storyline to one of the tournament’s biggest matches.
The two stars have faced each other five times in knockout competitions at both club and international level, and on every occasion Yamal’s team has emerged victorious.
Their first knockout meeting came in the UEFA Euro 2024 semi-finals, where Spain defeated France 2-1, with Yamal producing a standout performance. Since then, Barcelona has twice overcome Real Madrid in major domestic finals, winning the 2025 Copa del Rey and both the 2025 and 2026 Spanish Super Cups, with Yamal finishing on the winning side each time.
The pair also met in the 2025 UEFA Nations League semi-finals, where Spain edged France 5-4 in a thrilling contest, extending Yamal’s unbeaten knockout record against the French forward.
Now, the rivalry moves to the biggest stage in world football. Spain and France are set to meet in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with both Yamal and Mbappé expected to start for their respective national teams.
Yamal will be aiming to continue his remarkable run by claiming a sixth consecutive knockout victory over Mbappé, while the France captain will be looking to end that streak and lead Les Bleus into the World Cup final.
With a place in the final at stake, the latest chapter of the growing rivalry between two of football’s brightest stars is expected to be one of the tournament’s most closely watched encounters.
