‘Kylian is fine’: France ready, full force for Spain World Cup semifinal | World Cup 2026

France will not surrender to Spain in their place World Cup Semifinalcoach Didier Deschamps said confirming the availability of Kylian Mbappe for important matches.

“Spain can press hard, but we are also a team that wants the ball,” Deschamps told reporters on Monday. “There will be a battle for control.”

Spain’s last four games revolve around their ability to dominate the ball, press opponents inside their own half and control the majority of the game.

France have the pace to hurt them on the break, but Deschamps rejected the idea that his team could just defend and wait for a change.

Midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery said France’s different conditions gave them several options to approach the tournament.

“Spain has very good football,” he said. “We have the conditions to attack quickly on the counter, to defend ourselves and to defend well.

“Sports games have changed things. I can’t say now how the games will be played.”

Please be available to play

France’s hopes of competing in the semi-finals have been boosted by the return of Aurelien Tchouameni, who played last time out. 3-0 round of 32 win over Sweden on June 30.

He missed 1-0 win in the last 16 against Paraguay and 2-0 quarterfinal victory over Morocco it’s a hamstring problem.

Deschamps said the 26-year-old Real Madrid midfielder is not fully recovered but is available for selection after being left out of the previous game as a precautionary measure.

“For the last game, the risk was too high,” he said. “He’s fine today, although we can’t say he’s 100% recovered.

“His last game was two weeks ago, but it’s not a ban. What’s important is that he’s there.”

The presence of Tchouameni would give France a midfielder who can protect the defense, compete and help the team play against Spain’s difficulties.

Mbappe will skip the French training session, to play against Spain

France captain Kylian Mbappe missed Monday’s final training session with a minor groin injury during Les Bleus’ quarter-final win over Morocco.

Mbappe, who came on as a late substitute in the 2-0 win over France last Thursday, was given a little rest during Monday’s game.

The injury is not expected to keep him from playing on Tuesday.

“Kylian is fine,” said Deschamps.

When asked if Mbappe was trained, he added: “Yes, he was trained, he was allowed to play 10 minutes per game instead of 15.”

Intermediate preparation

Deschamps can also keep the midfield that France passed through Morocco, Manu Kone along with Adrien Rabiot. Zaire-Emery offers another option in a region that can determine whether Spain can impose their familiar rhythms.

The Spanish game was designed not only to create chances but also to tire the opponents by repeatedly moving the ball from one side to the other.

Defender Jules Kounde said on Monday that France would have to do their bit to break this trend rather than allow Spain to settle for too long.

Deschamps believes France’s experience in recent major tournaments will help them navigate the different stages, although he insisted that previous meetings with Spain did not provide a guarantee of how Tuesday’s game would go.

Spain eliminated France in the semifinals of Euro 2024 before beating them again in the Nations League last four in 2025.

“There is no special training,” said Deschamps. “There was one truth in those games, and the players that were there on both sides at that time.

“The players are different now, and they’re not at the same level of form.

“Spain won the two matches, thanks a lot to them, but what I’m excited about is tomorrow’s match.”

Change in the middle of France consistency

The French coach said the change was crucial to his team’s consistency, with Les Bleus now looking to reach a third consecutive World Cup final.

“When you are a coach, the key word is change,” said Deschamps.

“Football is not an exact science, but planning and preparation are always important, to a certain extent.”

France’s attacking threat is led by Mbappe, the tournament’s top scorer.

However, the semifinal may depend on whether Deschamps’ players can prevent Spain from dominating the ball and still give the players enough work.