{"id":1828,"date":"2026-07-13T14:06:29","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T20:06:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/?p=1828"},"modified":"2026-07-13T15:54:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T21:54:17","slug":"world-cup-2026-france-spain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/sports-betting-and-news\/world-cup-2026-france-spain\/","title":{"rendered":"France and Spain collide in race to World Cup final"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s a World Cup 2026 semifinal many fans would have been happy to see as Sunday\u2019s final. But once both France and Spain won their groups, the bracket gods made that impossible. Still, the pre-tournament betting favourites and current world Nos. 1 and 3 is nothing to sniff at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s also a rematch of the semifinals at both UEFA Euro 2024 and the 2025 Nations League; Spain won both, 2-1 and 5-4 respectively. This should be a match for the ages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\ud83d\udea8 France \ud83c\uddeb\ud83c\uddf7 vs Spain \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddf8<br>Mbapp\u00e9 vs Yamal. One match. One ticket to the FIFA World Cup Final. \ud83c\udfc6<br>Who rises to the occasion? \ud83d\udc40\ud83d\udd25<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/FIFAWorldCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#FIFAWorldCup<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/WorldCup2026?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#WorldCup2026<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/WorldCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#WorldCup<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/Football?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Football<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/9CXGDwL8m5\">pic.twitter.com\/9CXGDwL8m5<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Viral Us Zone (@ViralUsZone) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ViralUsZone\/status\/2076356949613113431?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 12, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">France at the World Cup<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td>Record<\/td><td>Goals For<\/td><td>Goals Against<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>6-0-0<\/td><td>16<\/td><td>2<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLes Bleus\u201d are the scariest team in the world with the most formidable front four in football.&nbsp;<strong>Kylian Mbapp\u00e9<\/strong>&nbsp;(8) and&nbsp;<strong>Ousmane Demb\u00e9l\u00e9<\/strong>&nbsp;(5) have 13 goals between them and have alternated dominating opponents.&nbsp;<strong>Michael Olise<\/strong>&nbsp;is a magician on the ball and leads the tournament in assists with five, while&nbsp;<strong>D\u00e9sir\u00e9 Dou\u00e9<\/strong>&nbsp;has proven dangerous as a starter and a substitute.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Projected Starting XI (4-2-3-1)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Maignan<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kound\u00e9, Upamecano, Saliba, Digne<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rabiot, Kon\u00e9<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Demb\u00e9l\u00e9, Olise, Dou\u00e9<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mbapp\u00e9<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">Spain at the World Cup<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td>Record<\/td><td>Goals For<\/td><td>Goals Against<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>5-1-0<\/td><td>11<\/td><td>1<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLa Roja\u201d are a possession machine thanks to the wealth of riches they have in the midfield. They simply do not give anything up.&nbsp;<strong>Rodri<\/strong>,&nbsp;<strong>Pedri<\/strong>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong>Dani Olmo<\/strong>, own the ball, wreaking havoc on opposing defences and facilitating leading scorer&nbsp;<strong>Mikel Oyarzabal<\/strong>, wunderkind&nbsp;<strong>Lamine Yamal<\/strong>&nbsp;and the technically brilliant&nbsp;<strong>\u00c1lex Baena<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Projected Starting XI (4-2-3-1)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Sim\u00f3n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Porro, Cubars\u00ed, Laporte, Cucurella<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rodri, Pedri<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Yamal, Olmo, Baena<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Oyarzabal<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to bet on France vs. Spain<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/tooniebet.ca\/ca\/login\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Log in<\/a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/tooniebet.ca\/ca\/registration\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">register<\/a>&nbsp;at ToonieBet.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Navigate to the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/tooniebet.ca\/ca\/sport\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sports betting page<\/a>&nbsp;&gt; World Cup hub.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Play futures, player props, SGPs or bet live.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to live bet France vs. Spain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Navigate to the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/tooniebet.ca\/ca\/live-betting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">live sports page<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Follow the match trackers, real-time odds and stats, and bet.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">France vs. Spain odds<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td>France +136<\/td><td>Draw +225<\/td><td>Spain +214<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">France vs. Spain key statistics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td>STAT<\/td><td>FRANCE<\/td><td>SPAIN<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Possession<\/td><td>58.4%<\/td><td>66.0%<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Expected Goals&nbsp;<\/td><td>14.3<\/td><td>11.7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>SoT\/Match<\/td><td>7.8<\/td><td>6.7<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Big Chances<\/td><td>27<\/td><td>17<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Touches in opp. box<\/td><td>179<\/td><td>226<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What to expect<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is the 38th time these powerhouses two have tangled going back to 1922. Spain holds the advantage with an 18-7-13 record, including the two recent semifinal wins.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both sides have interchangeable parts throughout the pitch thanks to the deepest benches in the tournament. They\u2019re dangerous, well managed, used to playing big matches for club and country and out to prove they\u2019re the world\u2019s best. Either could win this match and the entire tournament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">France vs. Spain prediction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Expect a chess match with the feel of a drag race when either side decide to put the pedal to the metal.&nbsp;<strong>Prediction<\/strong>: France win 3-2 in extra time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/tooniebet.ca\/ca\/responsible-gaming\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"856\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Responsible-Gaming-Banner-Sports.webp\" alt=\"ToonieBet is invested in responsible gaming. Please play safe.\" class=\"wp-image-1232\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Responsible-Gaming-Banner-Sports.webp 856w, https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Responsible-Gaming-Banner-Sports-300x70.webp 300w, https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Responsible-Gaming-Banner-Sports-768x179.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 856px) 100vw, 856px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Looking to get some bets in before the World Cup ends but not sure where to start?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This article&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/sports-betting-and-news\/how-does-sports-betting-work\/\">walks you through the sportsbook<\/a>, explaining odds, terms, bet types, tactics and more. Consider it your sports betting playbook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">Feature image courtesy AP Photo\/Francisco Ubilla via Canadian Press Images.<br>Stats courtesy\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/fotmob.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fotmob.com<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/11v11.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">11v11.com<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/fifa.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FIFA.com<\/a>.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The content is provided for general informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute betting advice, financial advice, or a recommendation to place any wager. Odds are subject to change. Sports wagering involves risk, and there is no guarantee of success or profit. For Ontario residents, participation in regulated online gaming is restricted to individuals 19 years of age or older. Please play responsibly. If gambling is no longer fun or may be causing harm, support is available through recognized gambling resources like&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/connexontario.ca\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ConnexOntario<\/a>. Terms and conditions apply where applicable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s a World Cup 2026 semifinal many fans would have been happy to see as Sunday\u2019s final. But once both France and Spain won their groups, the bracket gods made that impossible. Still, the pre-tournament betting favourites and current world Nos. 1 and 3 is nothing to sniff at. It\u2019s also a rematch of the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":1416,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[78,64,68],"tags":[74,79],"class_list":["post-1828","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-soccer","category-sports-betting-and-news","category-world-cup-2026","tag-soccer","tag-world-cup-2026"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1828","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1828"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1828\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1837,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1828\/revisions\/1837"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1416"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1828"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1828"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tooniebet.ca\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1828"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}