LIVE TEXT: France and Spain Battle for World Cup Final Berth

France and Spain, two giants of international football, are poised to clash in a highly anticipated World Cup semifinal, with a place in the final at stake.

France, the champions of 1998 and 2018, faces Spain, who lifted the trophy in 2010. The match is scheduled for this evening at 10:00 PM local time in Dallas.

Spanish coach Luis de la Fuente drew inspiration from Roman history, specifically Julius Caesar, to prepare his squad. He quoted Caesar, stating, "There is no great achievement without suffering," to emphasize the need for his players to be willing to endure hardship for success. De la Fuente believes that achieving significant goals requires sacrifice and a readiness to suffer, a message he conveys to his team.

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Julius Caesar, one of the great conquerors in history, said that there is no great achievement without suffering. And I subscribe to this phrase, given my fascination with the Roman world. It is one of the expressions I like and which I transmit to my players. If you want to achieve something in life, you have to leave something behind and be willing to suffer. And we are prepared to suffer.

Didier Deschamps, the French coach, acknowledged Spain as the favorite heading into the semifinal. In a press conference, he noted that this assessment was not intended to pressure the Spanish team but rather to reflect the high expectations placed upon them. Deschamps praised Spain's balanced play, highlighting their offensive capabilities and strong defense, predicting a spectacular match between two teams with significant attacking talent.

The referee for the match will be Ivan Barton from El Salvador, assisted by David Moran of El Salvador and Antonio Pupiro of Argentina. Tomasz Kwiatkowski from Poland will serve as the VAR official. The reported starting lineups show France in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Kylian Mbappé leading the attack, while Spain also lines up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, featuring players like Lamine Yamal and Álvaro Morata.

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I did not make this statement to put pressure on Luis (de la Fuente, Spain's coach) and his team. People have high expectations of Spain. They know how to attack, defend well, and not concede goals. It could be a spectacular match between two teams with offensive qualities.