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14 July 2026 199 comments
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100 matches down, four to go: it’s World Cup semi-final time as France meet Spain.

Kick-off in Dallas is at 20:00 BST.

TEAM NEWS

Les Bleus make two changes from the 2-0 win over Morocco in the quarter-finals.

One is expected as Aurélien Tchouaméni ($6.5m) returns from injury to replace Manu Koné ($6.1m) in the engine room.

The other alteration is more of a surprise – or at least, it was until the news broke on social media earlier this afternoon. Bradley Barcola ($8.0m) comes in for Desire Doué ($7.5m) on the wing.

As for Spain, Luis de la Fuente has named the same side that started Friday’s quarter-final win over Belgium.

Mikel Merino ($6.2m), the match-winner in each of the past two rounds, has to settle for substitute duty once again.

Pedri ($8.1m) is once more kept out of the side by Fabian Ruiz ($6.8m).

Now that we’ve seen the line-ups, we know that only four starters qualify for Scouting Bonus. Unsurprisingly, they are the four central midfielders: Ruiz, Rodri ($7.5m), Tchouaméni and Adrien Rabiot ($6.4m).

LINE-UPS

France XI: Maignan, Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Digne, Tchouameni, Rabiot, Dembele, Olise, Barcola, Mbappe.

Subs: Samba, Risser, Gusto, Kone, Thuram, Kante, Konate, Zaire-Emery, Theo Hernandez, Doue, Lucas Hernandez, Mateta, Cherki, Akliouche, Lacroix.

Spain XI: Simon, Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella, Rodri, Fabian, Yamal, Olmo, Baena, Oyarzabal.

Subs: Raya, Joan Garcia, Pubill, Grimaldo, Eric Garcia, Llorente, Merino, Torres, Gavi, Pino, Williams, Zubimendi, Gonzalez, Munoz, Iglesias.


PRE-DEADLINE READS


199 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. Justthis
    • 7 Years
    2 hours, 32 mins ago

    Good to see Mbappe starting. Had a feeling he'd be r****d.

    1. Haa-lala-land
      • 5 Years
      7 mins ago

      😀

  2. Bobbyg1
    • 14 Years
    2 hours, 31 mins ago

    Max cap sf or final? What are you guys going for?

    1. Roshen
      • 4 Years
      1 hour, 54 mins ago

      holding for the final

    2. windclock
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      1 hour, 45 mins ago

      Final for me, third place game could have a good differential who scores well.

  3. Roshen
    • 4 Years
    2 hours, 29 mins ago

    who would you sacrifice? need 0.2 to afford this team

    Maignan, Pickford
    Cucurella, Curbasi, Digne, Martinez, O'Reilly
    Dembele, Barcola, Bellingham, Olmo, Baena
    Messi, Kane, Mbappe

    1. Bobbyg1
      • 14 Years
      2 hours ago

      Olmo or Barcola?

    2. Christina.
      • 16 Years
      1 hour, 59 mins ago

      if you sacr someone you wont have that team

      1. Roshen
        • 4 Years
        1 hour, 54 mins ago

        thanks

    3. Massimo_AC
      • 10 Years
      1 hour, 57 mins ago

      Martinez -> Tagliafico

    4. TopMarx
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 13 Years
      1 hour, 56 mins ago

      Martinez

    5. Fresco
      • 16 Years
      1 hour, 40 mins ago

      Martinez -> Molina

  4. Jafooli
    • 14 Years
    2 hours, 25 mins ago

    Predictions

    France 2 - 1 Spain

    1. TopMarx
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 13 Years
      2 hours, 25 mins ago

      agree with that

      1. Jafooli
        • 14 Years
        2 hours, 22 mins ago

        Okay, you can predict the goal scorers 🙂

        1. TopMarx
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • Has Moderation Rights
          • 13 Years
          2 hours, 19 mins ago

          ha! I'm going Mbappe, Dembele, OG Digne

          1. Jafooli
            • 14 Years
            2 hours, 18 mins ago

            Agree with that…

            1. TopMarx
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • Has Moderation Rights
              • 13 Years
              1 hour, 44 mins ago

              He gave away the pen, does that count?

              1. PartyTime
                • 5 Years
                1 hour, 40 mins ago

                It counts but soft pen in a game of this magnitude

              2. Jafooli
                • 14 Years
                1 hour, 27 mins ago

                Yes

  5. FPL Emu
    • 15 Years
    2 hours, 24 mins ago

    The bronze final also counts for the fantasy game, right?

  6. fenixri
    • 10 Years
    2 hours, 24 mins ago

    Chasing, gtg?

    Maignan Martinez
    Cucurella Porro Cubarsi OReilly Molina
    Bellingham Gordon Yamal Olmo Dembele
    Oyarzabal Mbappe Messi

    1. fenixri
      • 10 Years
      2 hours, 23 mins ago

      Alvarez instead Messi

    2. GCHILD2K16
      • 9 Years
      2 hours, 19 mins ago

      Too much spain
      Alvarez for oyarzabal
      Barcola for olmo
      Digne for cubarsi
      Romero or martinez for porro

  7. windclock
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    2 hours, 21 mins ago

    GK: Maignan, Pickford
    DEF: Cucurella, O'Reilly, Digne, Upamecano, Halhal
    MID: Olise, Dembele, Bellingham, Ruiz, Baena
    FWD: Mbappe, Kane, Messi
    £0 ITB, any obvious changes?

    1. GCHILD2K16
      • 9 Years
      2 hours, 17 mins ago

      Drop ruiz and baena for barcola and macallister

      1. TopMarx
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 13 Years
        2 hours, 15 mins ago

        I like that suggestion too

  8. Miro
    • 15 Years
    2 hours, 21 mins ago

    Can a team get more aesthetically pleasing and balanced than this ?

    https://imgur.com/a/HMKjjzI

    1. Jafooli
      • 14 Years
      2 hours, 17 mins ago

      Marvellous…my favorite side task on FPL…sometime even choose who to bench to make it work lol…

    2. GCHILD2K16
      • 9 Years
      2 hours, 16 mins ago

      Post the team

      1. Miro
        • 15 Years
        2 hours, 8 mins ago

        I posted a link. Cant open it ?

  9. FPL Emu
    • 15 Years
    2 hours, 19 mins ago

    Anyone have anytime goalscorer odds for this round?

    1. GCHILD2K16
      • 9 Years
      2 hours, 14 mins ago

      Mbappe, dembele, olise, merino, barcola, doue
      Long shots: rodri, f.ruiz, touachmeni

  10. PartyTime
    • 5 Years
    2 hours, 14 mins ago

    Allez Olise

  11. Jafooli
    • 14 Years
    2 hours, 12 mins ago

    Really wish they continued with the original walk on music - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=feoHV5JUbuo&ra=m - and not that Dai Dai bs….

  12. FPL Emu
    • 15 Years
    2 hours, 8 mins ago

    With the max captain it doesnt matter where you place it initially right?

    1. Goro Majima
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      2 hours, 6 mins ago

      No

      1. Goro Majima
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        2 hours, 4 mins ago

        No as in it doesn't matter.

    2. Fresco
      • 16 Years
      2 hours, 6 mins ago

      Yes, it'll update once players have some points allocated

    3. Jafooli
      • 14 Years
      2 hours, 4 mins ago

      It updates in real time, which is pretty cool…bouncing from player to player

  13. Freshy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    2 hours, 8 mins ago

    Maignan - {Beach}
    Upamecano - Cucurella - Dinge - Martinez - Medina
    Dembele - Olise - Bellingham - Gordon - Mac Allister
    Mbappé - Kane - Messi

    5 - France
    5 - Argentina
    3 - England
    1 - Spain
    1 - Socceroo (the Beach)

    1. Jafooli
      • 14 Years
      2 hours, 3 mins ago

      And literally on the beach, most probably, which is probably what you’re suggesting…

  14. Jafooli
    • 14 Years
    2 hours, 5 mins ago

    Only three goals conceded by both teams in the tournament so far….new prediction 0-0

  15. JBG
    • 8 Years
    1 hour, 58 mins ago

    ZzzZzzZpain

    1. Jafooli
      • 14 Years
      1 hour, 55 mins ago

      Ref forgot his shaving foam lol…highlight so far

  16. SM001
    • 10 Years
    1 hour, 48 mins ago

    Olise is a lucky boy.

    1. Mozumbus
      • 4 Years
      1 hour, 6 mins ago

      Yes, so lucky

  17. Jafooli
    • 14 Years
    1 hour, 48 mins ago

    What is Michelob ultra zero beer?

    Is that with like less than 0% alcohol - so even more boring?

  18. Jafooli
    • 14 Years
    1 hour, 47 mins ago

    Spain peno…

    1. Jafooli
      • 14 Years
      1 hour, 18 mins ago

      Digne on Lamal…how is he meant to avoid that?

      1. Feanor
        • 17 Years
        1 hour, 17 mins ago

        How is who supposed to avoid what?

        1. Jafooli
          • 14 Years
          43 mins ago

          Digne kicking Lamal

          1. Feanor
            • 17 Years
            27 mins ago

            By not kicking him

      2. Bada Bing
        • 9 Years
        1 hour, 17 mins ago

        By looking around and not kicking him in the leg?

      3. JBG
        • 8 Years
        1 hour, 17 mins ago

        Exactly.. Yamal tosses himself at Dignes foot basically

        1. Feanor
          • 17 Years
          42 mins ago

          Just stop watching the sport mate. You haven't got a clue.

        2. Jafooli
          • 14 Years
          41 mins ago

          So way to go is now just throw yourself at defenders legs when they’re clearing the ball…madness

          1. JBG
            • 8 Years
            26 mins ago

            Exactly

          2. Feanor
            • 17 Years
            24 mins ago

            Yamal jumped for the ball and made contract with the ball

            Then Digne kicked him in the thigh

            100% penalty at any level of the game

      4. Moon Dog
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 1 Year
        1 hour, 17 mins ago

        Dunno.

        Weak pen. Did the thigh tap even affect the play at all?

        1. BeaversWithAttitude
          • 7 Years
          1 hour, 14 mins ago

          Agree – lame! Yamal launched himself into Digne's path as he was kicking the ball...

          1. Feanor
            • 17 Years
            25 mins ago

            he didn't kick the ball

        2. Feanor
          • 17 Years
          1 hour, 14 mins ago

          How can you people not know the rules... astounding

          1. JBG
            • 8 Years
            1 hour, 12 mins ago

            It's not about the rules, everyone understandsit'sa foul... it's about what Yamal knowingly did there.

            1. Feanor
              • 17 Years
              1 hour, 11 mins ago

              He made contact with the ball and didn't touch Digne. Then Digne kicked him without touching the ball..

            2. jacob1989
              • 4 Years
              1 hour, 8 mins ago

              Its soft but probably correct.. but foolish by Dighe.

    2. Fresco
      • 16 Years
      1 hour, 11 mins ago

      Wasn't there a handball by Yamal before the kick from Digne

      1. Feanor
        • 17 Years
        1 hour, 10 mins ago

        No it hit his back

        Then Digne kicked him

        1. Fresco
          • 16 Years
          1 hour, 9 mins ago

          I rolled back a replay. It hits the triceps, there's an angle that shows it

          1. jacob1989
            • 4 Years
            1 hour, 6 mins ago

            Saw that too. Var as usual chose to close their eyes for some decisions and interfere for other minor things

      2. FFS ManU
        • 3 Years
        49 mins ago

        Yes - a clear handball. It was lower than the shoulder area.

        1. Feanor
          • 17 Years
          1 min ago

          None of these happened.

          A handball offence is committed when a player (except the goalkeeper in their own penalty area):

          deliberately touches the ball with their hand/arm

          touches the ball with their hand/arm when it is in a position that makes their body unnaturally bigger and that position is not the result of their body moving fairly as part of play

          scores a goal against the other team with their hand/arm or scores immediately after the ball has touched their hand/arm (even if the touch was accidental)

  19. lilmessipran
    • 13 Years
    1 hour, 46 mins ago

    World Cup semi final and all ITV can do is Ally McCoist on commentary? He can't even identify half of the players on the field, what a shitshow

    1. Jafooli
      • 14 Years
      1 hour, 39 mins ago

      Ha, he’s useless lol…

      1. The Bandit
        • 15 Years
        1 hour, 32 mins ago

        He really is..

  20. JBG
    • 8 Years
    1 hour, 45 mins ago

    Lol what... Yamal tosses himself there and Digne doesn't know what he's doing

    1. lilmessipran
      • 13 Years
      1 hour, 44 mins ago

      Looks like a clear pen to me imo

      1. PartyTime
        • 5 Years
        1 hour, 38 mins ago

        Look at Yamal before the contact

        1. Feanor
          • 17 Years
          1 hour, 37 mins ago

          Yamal got the ball. Then Digne kicked him.

    2. Goro Majima
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      1 hour, 41 mins ago

      That's the problem - he needs to be aware of what he's doing.

  21. Feanor
    • 17 Years
    1 hour, 44 mins ago

    Spain 1-0

  22. Mozumbus
    • 4 Years
    1 hour, 44 mins ago

    Lamine (c) here

  23. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    1 hour, 43 mins ago

    1-0 Spain. Oyarzabal via the penalty kick

  24. Nomar
    • 16 Years
    1 hour, 40 mins ago

    Digne is an idiot

  25. SM001
    • 10 Years
    1 hour, 40 mins ago

    I took Oyarzabal out and brought in Digne. Great!

    1. Goro Majima
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      1 hour, 3 mins ago

      You're not alone.

  26. bso
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    1 hour, 39 mins ago

    Only have two from Spain. Could go very wrong lol!

    1. PartyTime
      • 5 Years
      1 hour, 38 mins ago

      Same lol

    2. Goro Majima
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      1 hour, 31 mins ago

      Yep, France need to get their backsides into gear.

  27. Pornchef
    • 2 Years
    1 hour, 37 mins ago

    Saliba and Mbappe playing with injuries tonight

    100%

    Mbappe been training alone and having his ankle iced, but according to France he was 100% fit

    1. Jafooli
      • 14 Years
      1 hour, 35 mins ago

      Saliba now off…

  28. Justthis
    • 7 Years
    1 hour, 36 mins ago

    Guys, I'm shopping in the metro centre. It's my nans birthday tomorrow so getting her something special. I'll be home soon to watch the match. Please don't judge me

  29. The Bandit
    • 15 Years
    1 hour, 36 mins ago

    Cucu deserved two yellows there

  30. Jafooli
    • 14 Years
    1 hour, 29 mins ago

    What a goal that would have been…quality