World Cup 2026: Moment of silence before France-Spain to mark 10 years since Nice attack

A moment of silence will be observed before the World Cup semifinal match between France and Spain to honor the victims of the July 14, 2016, Nice terrorist attack. French President Emmanuel Macron announced the tribute on X, stating, "Before France-Spain, a moment of silence will be observed in homage to the victims of the Nice attack, ten years after July 14, 2016. Thank you to the FIFA President for responding to the request of France and all the mobilized French people. We will never forget."

Spain's goalkeeper, Unai Simon, expressed determination ahead of the match. Having set a new World Cup record for minutes without conceding a goal (609), Simon stated, "We have to make France run. If everyone plays at their best level, no national team can beat us." He also indicated a preference for a decisive win in regular time, saying, "I would like to win 4-0 in 90 minutes. I don't like penalty shootouts. I consider myself a bit crazy about penalty shootouts, analyzing them, but I also know it's a lottery."

The French team, highly anticipated for their semifinal clash, has adopted the nickname "les méchants" (the bad guys), a moniker that reflects their image. This follows a tradition of French handball teams earning descriptive nicknames, such as "Les Bronzés," "Les Barjots," "Les Costauds," "Les Experts," and "Les Indestructibles," each representing a different era and style of play.

In other World Cup news, former international Slaven Bilic has been appointed as the new head coach of Croatia. He takes over after Zlatko Dalic resigned following Croatia's elimination from the tournament. Bilic, 57, previously managed the national team from 2006 to 2012.