In the shadow of the flags: Mbappe against Yamal

France and Spain will battle for a place in the World Cup final in Dallas (22:00), renewing their European Championship semi-final clash from two years ago in Germany. Les Bleus enter the contest as slight favorites after producing the most convincing performances of the tournament so far, but La Roja have every reason to believe they can halt Didier Deschamps' side.

The ultimate treat – a third historic final for France or the return of La Roja after 16 years?

It was Spain who came out on top in Munich two years ago, winning 2-1 before going on to lift the European Championship by defeating England in the final. France struck first through Randal Kolo Muani in the ninth minute, but a devastating four-minute spell saw Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo turn the game around for Luis de la Fuente's men.

The two nations met again in last year's Nations League semi-final, producing a nine-goal thriller that Spain edged 5-4. Once again, Yamal stole the spotlight with two goals, while Mbappe found the net once.

Now, the AT&T Stadium in Arlington hosts another blockbuster, headlined by two of football's brightest stars - and arguably the two best players in the world right now - Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal.

Yamal may hold a 2-0 advantage over Frenchman in senior international meetings, but the World Cup statistics tell a very different story.

The Real Madrid superstar is the leading contender for both the Golden Ball and the Golden Boot after scoring eight goals. Spaniard, meanwhile, has found the net only once, against Saudi Arabia in the second group-stage match. The Spaniard is yet to register an assist, while Mbappe has provided three.

Yamal arrived at the tournament carrying a hamstring injury suffered late in Barcelona's La Liga campaign, and has played 454 minutes so far. Mbappe has logged considerably more playing time, featuring for 563 minutes.

The French captain has also been far more active in front of goal. Mbappe has attempted 30 shots, with 19 on target and eight ending up in the back of the net. Yamal has taken 23 shots, hitting the target 10 times.

Their passing numbers are almost identical, with Mbappe completing 184 passes compared to Yamal's 183.

Mbappe has also covered more ground during the tournament, running 49.7 kilometers compared to Yamal's 41.9. However, the Spaniard has the edge in average speed, clocking 5.64 km/h compared to Mbappe's 5.29 km/h.

Looking beyond international football and including club meetings between Mbappe's former sides Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid against Yamal's Barcelona, the head-to-head record strongly favors the Spanish teenager. Mbappe has beaten Yamal only twice, while Yamal has celebrated victory on eight occasions.

Mbappe's first win came in the 2023/24 Champions League quarter-finals, when Paris Saint-Germain eliminated Barcelona and the Frenchman scored twice. His second victory arrived this season, when Real Madrid defeated Barcelona 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Mbappe once again finding the back of the net.

WORLD CUP - KNOCKOUT STAGE

Semi-finals

Tuesday

22.00: (2.40) France (3.30) Spain (3.25)

Wednesday

22.00: (2.55) England (3.10) Argentina (3.15)

***odds are subject to change***