France face midfield crisis before Spain semi-final

France's World Cup 2026 semi-final preparations have been hit by problems in midfield, casting doubt on their ability to overcome Spain. The exact nature of the issues has not been disclosed, but they come at a critical stage of the tournament. The French team, who famously beat a highly-rated Spain side in the 2006 World Cup last-16 after being written off as too old, will now have to adjust their plans. Spain will sense an opportunity against a weakened midfield, while France will hope history does not repeat itself in the opposite direction.