They say everything’s bigger in Texas and Wednesday’s FIFA World Cup semifinal between France and Spain — a clash between the best player and the world and its greatest prodigy — is no exception.

Kylian Mbappé has been France’s unstoppable goal-scoring machine, ripping through defences to sit equal atop the golden boot race with Argentinian legend Lionel Messi.

He’s in his prime, has been to two World Cup finals and has won one. But when you sit at the top of the pyramid, everyone’s coming for your crown.

And Spain’s wonderkind Lamine Yamal is eyeing his scalp to earn a berth in the final.

The 18-year-old is football’s next big thing, already making waves at one of the biggest clubs on the face of the Earth, Barcelona.

He has scored at this tournament, his first at a World Cup, and owns bragging rights, having beaten Mbappé’s France in the semifinals of the Nations League in 2025 and at Euro 2024, scoring three goals across those two encounters.

Yamal, who overcame an injury to play in this tournament, is also well aware of the record and made his intentions clear after helping Spain send Belgium home in the quarterfinals.

“No team has played us as an equal. They all fall behind against us,” Lamal told Televisión Española post-match.

“If France have to fear anyone, it’s us. We’re the ones who have knocked them out before.”

The young gun also has a very impressive record against Mbappé at club level with the Frenchman playing for Barcelona’s most-hated foes Real Madrid.

Mbappé has not fronted the media much at this tournament, but his teammate Ibrahima Konaté was quick to try to push the spotlight away from Yamal ahead of the match.

“We’re not just thinking about stopping Lamine. Spain is an exceptional team with a lot of individual talent,” the defender said.

“But the goal isn’t to focus solely on one player, because it’s the whole team that can cause damage. Their attacking play is quite exceptional. But I think it’s a collective effort, from the midfielders to the defenders.

“What they’re doing is quite exceptional. It’s incredible. And no, perhaps we don’t talk enough about their counter-pressing, because their attacking play is so exceptional.”

Mbappé has also been ankle-deep in speculation since departing the field in France’s 2-0 win over Morocco early with what he labelled a “minor ankle injury”.

However, he also says it’s “completely fine”, and there’s little chance legendary France manager Didier Deschamps will want to leave his star man on the pine.

Paraguay are the only nation to have come within a goal of France at this tournament in the Round of 16, while, aside from a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia and a 3-0 win over Austria, Spain has played some pretty tense matches.