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Come Fan with UsWednesday, June 24, 2026

France vs. Spain, 2014 World Cup qualifying: Preview and TV schedule

France put themselves in the driving seat in the group after Spain faltered against Finland, and a good result for Les Bleus against their rivals will leave them heavy favourites to book top spot.

Denis Doyle

After Spain's shock draw at home to Finland on Friday, while France easily defeated Georgia, Les Bleus are in pole position in the group and can make top spot their own if they can get a victory against Spain on Tuesday.

Despite France's easy win, some players did not perform to expectation and may be dropped as a result. Karim Benzema's woes in front of goal could see him miss out, although Olivier Giroud is expected to start despite similarly firing blanks for much of the game. Mathieu Valbuena will keep his place after a virtuoso performance, while Patrice Evra and Yohan Cabaye, unused substitutes, are expected to come back into the side.

Spain, meanwhile, should see the return of Xavi, with Santiago Cazorla being dropped as a result. Jordi Alba is unavailable, so Ignacio Monreal will continue at left-back, while David Silva is also unavailable. Cesc Fabregas is expected to continue in his role as lone striker and should lead the Spanish attack.

Match Date\Time: Tuesday, 9 p.m. local, 8 p.m. UTC, 4 p.m. ET

Venue: Stade de France, Paris, France

TV: UniMas, ESPN2 (U.S.), RDS, Sportsnet One (Canada), TF1 (France)

Online: ESPN3 (U.S.)

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More in Soccer:

USA vs. Mexico: The game that sparked the rivalry

Full coverage of CONCACAF qualifying, including USA-Mexico

England, Spain face desperate times in UEFA

Uruguay battle Chile in CONMEBOL qualifying

Atleti vs. Real: The most important race for second place

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