Spain Confirm Their Superiority by Eliminating France from the World Cup Semi-Finals

Spain continued their outstanding run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, reaching the final for only the second time in their history after defeating France 2-0 in their semi-final clash at Dallas Stadium.

La Roja once again got the better of France in a major tournament, adding another victory to their triumph in the UEFA Euro 2024 semi-finals and the 2025 UEFA Nations League final, eliminating Les Bleus from a major competition for the third consecutive time.

Spain will now contest Sunday’s World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where they will face the winner of the other semi-final between defending champions Argentina and England.

The Spaniards are now just one victory away from winning their second World Cup title, having previously lifted the trophy in South Africa in 2010 with Andrés Iniesta’s extra-time winner against the Netherlands.

France, meanwhile, saw their hopes of reaching a third consecutive World Cup final come to an end. Didier Deschamps’ side lifted the trophy in 2018 before finishing runners-up to Argentina in the 2022 final.

Luis de la Fuente’s team delivered a tactically disciplined performance, successfully imposing their style of play while neutralizing France’s biggest attacking threats, particularly Kylian Mbappé and playmaker Michael Olise, who struggled to find space against Spain’s organized defensive structure.

The victory also improved Spain’s all-time record against France to 19 wins in 39 encounters, alongside seven draws and 13 defeats. It was also their eighth victory in the last 11 matches between the two nations.

La Roja extended their impressive unbeaten run to 37 consecutive matches, having not lost in normal time since a friendly defeat to Colombia in March 2024. It also marked Spain’s third straight victory in the knockout stages of this tournament, having failed to win a single knockout match at the World Cup since lifting the trophy in 2010.

Match Highlights

The contest began cautiously, with both teams focused on controlling possession and establishing dominance in midfield, resulting in very few clear-cut chances during the opening stages.

The breakthrough arrived in the 22nd minute when Spain were awarded a penalty after Lucas Digne brought down Lamine Yamal inside the area. Mikel Oyarzabal calmly converted from the spot to give his side the lead.

France’s problems worsened just eight minutes later when defender William Saliba was forced off through injury, prompting Didier Deschamps to make an enforced change in central defence.

The French manager attempted to change the course of the match at the start of the second half by introducing Manu Koné, Désiré Doué, Rayan Cherki and Theo Hernández, but the substitutions failed to provide the attacking spark France needed.

Spain capitalized on the increasing spaces in the French defence and delivered the decisive blow in the 58th minute. Pedro Porro combined brilliantly with Dani Olmo before bursting into the penalty area and calmly finishing past Mike Maignan to score his second goal of the tournament, becoming only the second Spanish defender after Fernando Hierro to score twice in a single FIFA World Cup.

With the victory, Spain further strengthened their credentials as favourites to lift the trophy, while France’s defeat marked the end of Didier Deschamps’ tenure as national team manager, bringing to a close what is widely regarded as the most successful era in the history of French football.