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Individual brilliance on test as Mbappe and Yamal renew rivalry in World Cup semifinal
14th July, 2026 07:34 PM
The FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final between France and Spain offers more than just a place in the final, with two of football’s brightest stars, Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal, preparing to go head-to-head once again.
The clash in Dallas on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, will mark the first World Cup meeting between the pair, although they are already well acquainted after facing each other ten times previously for club and country. So far, Yamal has enjoyed the upper hand, winning eight of those encounters.
Yamal dominates international meetings
Mbappé and Yamal have crossed paths twice at the international level before, with both fixtures coming in semi-finals.
The first came at UEFA EURO 2024 in Munich, where Spain secured a 2-1 victory over France. Yamal was one of the standout performers, scoring a spectacular goal to help send La Roja into the final.
A year later, they met again in the UEFA Nations League semi-final in Stuttgart. Spain prevailed once more in an entertaining 5-4 contest, with Yamal scoring twice while Mbappe also found the back of the net.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente praised his teenage sensation afterwards, saying: “I’m delighted for Lamine. He really sent a message today.”
Mbappé shines in Champions League showdown
The duo’s first-ever meeting came in April 2024 during the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals when Paris Saint-Germain hosted Barcelona.
Barcelona claimed a 3-2 victory in the opening leg in Paris, although neither Mbappe nor Yamal scored.
Mbappe responded emphatically in the return fixture, netting twice as PSG cruised to a 4-1 win in Spain to overturn the deficit and book a place in the semi-finals.
El Clasico battles favour Yamal
Since Mbappe joined Real Madrid in mid-2024, he and Yamal have become regular rivals in El Clasico.
Barcelona have largely dominated the major cup meetings between the two clubs. They defeated Real Madrid 5-2 in the 2025 Spanish Super Cup final before edging them 3-2 in the 2026 edition. The Catalan giants also lifted the 2025 Copa del Rey after a 3-2 extra-time victory, despite Mbappe scoring from a free-kick.
The pair have also faced off three times in La Liga. Mbappe’s first league Clasico ended in a heavy 4-0 defeat. In another memorable encounter, the French striker scored a hat-trick but still finished on the losing side as Barcelona claimed a thrilling 4-3 victory, with Yamal among the scorers.
Mbappe finally celebrated his first league win over Barcelona in October 2025, scoring as Real Madrid secured a 2-1 success.
Rivalry continues on football’s biggest stage
Across their ten previous meetings, Yamal has emerged victorious eight times. However, Mbappe has been the more prolific scorer in those matches, registering nine goals compared to Yamal’s six.
The Spanish teenager has already made history at the 2026 World Cup by becoming the first player aged 18 or younger to appear in more than five matches at a single tournament. His only goal so far came during Spain’s group-stage victory over Saudi Arabia.
Speaking after Spain’s quarter-final triumph over Belgium, Yamal insisted he is not concerned about his scoring tally.
“Not scoring really doesn’t frustrate me,” he said. “I won EURO 2024 after scoring once. If I also win the World Cup, I don’t think people will care too much about whether I’ve scored.”
Mbappe enjoyed his own breakthrough World Cup as a teenager in Russia in 2018, scoring four goals in seven appearances to help France lift the trophy while also winning the Best Young Player Award.
As France and Spain battle for a place in the 2026 World Cup final, Mbappe will aim to narrow the gap in his personal rivalry with Yamal, while the Spanish youngster hopes to follow in the Frenchman’s footsteps by winning the World Cup at the first attempt.
