Spain v France LIVE: Latest team news and build-up ahead of Euro 2024 semi-final

Some of those taking to the pitch tonight may have the golden boot in mind too.

Footballing greats such as Antonie Griezmann, Fernando Torres, Alan Shearer and Gerd Muller are among those who have won the prestigious prize throughout the history of the Euros and the likes of Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, Jamal Musiala and Romelu Lukaku are hoping to join them this time around.

It hasn’t been an extremely high-scoring campaign so far in individual terms, but that just means there are still some in the running who haven’t had a prolific tournament – one big game in front of goal could change everything.

Speaking of suspended players…

England were left sweating on suspensions in the knockouts after a flurry of yellow cards in the first half of their last-16 tie against Slovakia at Euro 2024.

But yellow cards picked up in the group stage, last-16 and quarter-finals are wiped before the semi-finals – meaning the Three Lions, the Oranje, plus France and Spain’s squads, all get a blank slate at this point – other than those like Dani Carvajal who were sent-off or booked for the second time in their last appearance.

Spain will be without three key players for their match against Germany. Dani Carvajal and Robin Le Normand are suspended having collected yellow cards (and a red in Carvajal’s case) during the quarter-final while Pedri sustained an injury after a heavy tackle from Toni Kroos that is expected to rule him out.

France have no suspensions or injuries which could give them a significant advantage for the match if Didier Deschamps can finally unlock their potential ruthlessness in front of goal.

Spain XI: Simon, Navas, Nacho, Laporte, Cucurella, Ruiz, Rodri, Olmo, Williams, Morata, Yamal

France XI: Maignan, Hernandez, Saliba, Upamecano, Kounde, Rabiot, Tchouameni, Kante, Griezmann, Mbappe, Dembele

Ahead of both semi-finals, here’s a reminder of the schedule and how you can watch them.

Germany, Portugal, Switzerland and Turkey all fell at the quarter-final stage, as Spain set up a mouth-watering clash with France and England squeezed through to face Netherlands.

The semi-finals will be played on Tuesday and Wednesday night, before Sunday’s final in Berlin.

Below is the full fixture schedule for the Euro 2024 knockout stages, and TV arrangements:

If you’re after some news ahead of England’s clash against the Netherlands tomorrow, look no further than our dedicated blog.

We’re bringing you all the team news, squad updates and preparation ahead of tomorrow night’s game.

The superstar forward was left covered in blood after suffering the brutal injury when his face collided into the shoulder of Austria defender Kevin Danso, later leaving the stadium in an ambulance.

Subsequent tests confirmed Mbappe did not require immediate surgeryand he returned to training two days later while sporting a protective covering in the colours of the French flag, alleviating concerns that he would be ruled out of the tournament.

Slavko Vincic will referee the first semi-final of Euro 2024 between Spain and France in Munich on Tuesday night.

The experienced Slovenian official, 44, became a Fifa-listed referee in 2010 and recently refereed the 2024 Champions League final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.

Vinčič’s first tournament was Euro 2012, where he attended as an assistant, and he first took charge at a major international tournament during Euro 2020, when he refereed two group-stage games and the quarter-final between Italy and Belgium.

The generation gap on Spain’s right flank has just grown bigger. Lamine Yamal has spent the tournament passing his school exams and footballing tests, operating in front of a man twice his age, in Dani Carvajal. Yet the six-time Champions League winner was suspended for the Euro 2024semi-final even before he brought his quarter-final to a slightly premature end, rugby-tackling Jamal Musiala to collect his second yellow card deep into extra time.

And so the reserve right-back, who will presumably be parachuted in to face France, whose role will involve racing Kylian Mbappe, is a player who had won the Uefa Cup twice before Yamal was born. One Jesus turned water into wine. The temptation is to think that another may need a still greater miracle to outsprint Mbappe. Jesus Navas, after all, is closer in age to perennial early 90s Tour de France winner Miguel Indurain than he is to Yamal.

But, 21 seasons into his senior career, Navas has a certain timelessness.There are few 38-year-olds whose attributes begin with speed, but his arguably do. He has retained a slim physique that suggests he has zero per cent body fat. As times have changed, Navas hasn’t. He has moved from right wing to right-back yet remains essentially the same.

Two of the three players to score for France in Euro 2024 are out of Euro 2024. One no longer plays international football at all. And one single goal from a French player? Well, that was a penalty.

It puts France two games away from an extraordinary achievement: from winning the European Championships without any of their team mustering a goal in open play. It sounds like a feat that the Greece side in 2004 – limited in ability, clean-sheet specialists and set-piece experts – could have pulled off.

Not France, who scored four and three in the last two World Cup finals respectively; who have Kylian Mbappe, potentially the best player in the world for the next few years and, in time, the best in the World Cup’s history; who have a galaxy of attacking talent. But maybe it would be the definitive Didier Deschamps triumph, doing so in his own very particular way.

France are looking to reach their fourth Euros final (1984, 2000 and 2016) but only the second not played on French soil (Euro 2000 in the Netherlands).

Spain, meanwhile, are looking to reach their fifth final, with only Germany playing in more (six). The Spaniards have progressed from four of five semi-finals, but lost on penalties to eventual winners Italy at this stage at Euro 2020.