Red or Blue? Yamal or Mbappe? Decision day dawns in Dallas as superstars go head-to-head
STAR GAZER: Lamine Yamal points at the scoreboard while his brother Keyne is on the screen after the 2-1 win against Belgium. Pic: David Ramos/Getty
Monday started with some fireworks in Dallas. As hot rains curtained down, flashes and forks of lightning lit up the morning sky too. Quite the birthday show for one of the city’s most famous, if temporary, residents.
Of all the places Lamine Yamal could have turned 19, the Texas of July 2026 would have been down the list. It doesn’t fit the theme. Since we first properly laid eyes on him in August 2023, Yamal has been a force of nature that has proven mostly uncontainable. He does what he wants. But in the Lone Star State, being 19 comes with restrictions.
Here, Yamal is still two years away from being free to toast his cumpleaños with a proper drink. He’s also a year away from being able to legally buy a handgun. But a long gun or assault rifle such as an AR-15? He could have started accumulating them a year ago. As many as you fancy, no legal limit on that.
It wouldn’t have always been that way. In response to one of countless American mass shootings, six US states raised their age limit on purchasing assault rifles to be in line with that of buying a Smirnoff Ice. What tyranny. Those six are, inevitably, Democratic states. Back in 1976 Texas was too, voting Jimmy Carter into the White House. In the decades since, it went purple and then all the way the other way.
The state has staged 15 matches at this World Cup, already more than either co-hosts Mexico or Canada. It has one left. On Monday afternoon out in expanses of Arlington, the Fifa volunteers will unfurl a giant Tricolore in one half and La Bandera in the other and Texas will have a battle of blue and red that it hasn’t seen for half a century.
This tournament’s first semi-final is compelling in so many ways that its second one is - but more so isn’t. While Argentina and England instantly feels like a war of emotions and nerve, with jingoistic patriotism sure to play some kinda part, France and Spain convene at Dallas Stadium for something a bit purer. It’s probably easier to reach for narrative brackets because many of them stand up: the tournament’s most potent attack against its meanest defence; Didier Deschamps’ belated free-spirit, an unbound tactical tranquility, against Luis de la Fuente’s taught, technical machine. And of course, Yamal against Kylian Mbappe.
Saturday evening’s slog in the swamps of Miami proved the folly of looking at a contest through two megastar matchwinners when Harry Kane and Erling Haaland exhausted themselves into anonymity. Yet it was that contest’s other outstanding talent, Jude Bellingham, who ultimately decided it. And there’s more to the Mbappe-Yamal face-off than simply serving up two names who broadcasters hope Americans might recognise.
The last major tournament clash between these neighbours came in Munich two summers ago, also a semi-final. It was Yamal’s official breakout moment, his curling thing of wonder flattening France after Mbappe had for the first time in the entire tournament sparked Deschamps’ then-stodgy side into life. As Yamal smiled and his braces glittered in the limelight, Mbappé disappeared down the tunnel but at least had the bright new start at Real Madrid to move on to.
Yet in the two years since, Mbappé and Real have won a Uefa Super Cup and not much more while Yamal has, domestically at least, swept all before him at Barcelona. Last summer in a classic ill-suited to the Nations League, both men scored but Spain saw off France 5-4. All in all, for club and country, the duo have met in five games of knockout football. Yamal has come out on top in all five.
Across the shortest journey of any team in the knockout stages, Mbappé has revelled in reasserting his brilliance, leading an effervescent France attack to be the tournament’s most eye-catching team. La Roja, who have travelled 22,000km to Les Bleus’ 4,600km, have served up something much more akin to the functional, tantric stuff which was Deschamps’ calling card. Dealing with fitness issues, Yamal had to feel his way into the tournament and then feed off meagre moments. A solitary goal and no assist with just five days remaining tells the tale.
In Dallas, Ibrahima Konate was pressed on how France would handle Yamal this time and came out with something equally telling: “It’s not just Lamine, it’s all of Spain.”
This has never felt truer. Of course, Yamal’s presence alone helps Spain’s priorities: to dominate possession, stretch, force errors and outlast opposition. With Nico Williams mostly absent off the other side, teams can better afford to doubled-up on Yamal.
The more immediately concerning numbers game for Deschamps comes in the space between where the two flags will unfurl. His brilliant four-strong attacking line of Mbappe ahead of Desire Doue, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembele leaves just two in midfield. Whatever combination of Adrien Rabiot, Aurélien Tchouaméni or Manu Koné has been deployed has worked — so far. Against Rodri and friends can Deschamps, whose tenure ends this week one way or another, afford to be outnumbered?
“We know Spain very well. They are the current European champions,” Deschamps said on Monday. “Before the World Cup people considered us favorites, but the favorite is Spain.”
France may feel slightly more battle-hardened having come through Morocco. But Spain’s pressure game nullified Portugal enough for one close neighbour to go out with a whimper in the same Dallas Stadium just last week. Of all the unknowns, Tuesday will not come nearly as easy against their other neighbour.
The dogged work Doue did in protecting Lucas Digne enough to nullify Achraf Hakimi may give Deschamps hope that he can keep Yamal as quiet as he’s been. For all Spain’s defensive resilience they haven’t faced an attack anything like Mbappe, Olise and the rest.
Red or blue? Decision day dawns in Dallas.
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