Spain has defeated France 2-0 in the semifinal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup to enter its second-ever final in tournament history. They also denied the French their third straight World Cup final appearance.
The France vs Spain match was the first semifinal of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The formidable match saw the top two-ranked men’s international football teams. Spain was one of the favourites to win it all even before the tournament started, as they came in as the defending European champions.
On the other hand, France was, for many, the outright favourite to win it all. They had made it to the final in the last two World Cups, winning in 2018 and losing on penalties in 2022. Plus, they also had the best squad on paper in this competition.
What Happened In The France vs Spain Semifinal?
Right from the start of this match, one thing became clear: Spain was not going to let France railroad them into scoring goals. Les Blues have dominated each team they have played in the 2026 FIFA World Cup so far with flashing play and individual brilliance; the Spaniards were not going to allow that.
In the 16th minute, Kylian Mbappe tried to do what he had done time and again in this tournament, to breeze past the defence and score a brace. But the tight defensive lines of La Roja shut that down before the move became a real threat.
In the 20th minute, French left-back Lucas Digne, in an act of absent-mindedness, looked to clear the ball that was six feet in the air. Instead, he kicked the rushing Lamine Yamal on the thigh inside the box – a penalty. The spot kick was converted beautifully by Mikel Oyarzabal, 1-0 Spain.
For the next 15 minutes or so, while Spain looked comfortable, France was struggling to get into space and make good chances. For the next 15 minutes or so, no team took any decent shots. Instead, the two sides settled on taking low-percentage shots from outside the box or falling into the offside trap.
Half an hour into the match, French defender William Saliba’s long season with Arsenal finally caught up to him, as he collapsed onto the field despite no contact. He was subbed off immediately.
In the 38th minute, a one-two play between Dani Olmo and Lamine Yamal on the edge of the box saw Yamal find the ball in a wonderful area. He passed the ball to Fabián Ruiz in the six-yard box, who shot it just off the target.
The 42nd minute brought arguably the best play of the match, thanks to Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón. Adrien Rabiot found the ball near the midline and made a through pass to Kylian Mbappé. The French star now found himself behind the defensive line and chasing the ball.
Simón, as soon as the possession was lost, rushed towards the ball, which was barely into his third of the field, and cleared it before Mbappé could even take hold of the ball. And soon after that, the referee blew the whistle for half-time.
The second half commenced with Spain looking far better than France. While one side kept more possession and created chances, the other squandered opportunities before they became threatening. The Spanish were dominant in defence and in the midfield, not allowing the scary French frontline to create anything.
In the 58th minute, Pedro Porro passed the ball to Dani Olmo on the edge of the box and immediately made a run towards the goal. Olmo passed the ball back to Porro behind the defensive line with a one-touch pass.
The right-back now found himself one-on-one with goalkeeper Mike Maignan and got the better of him, slotting the ball into the bottom corner. 2-0 Spain with just over half an hour to go.
France now needed some magic from their front line. Bradley Barcola was taken off at this point to bring in Désiré Doué. He would now form the frontline alongside Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé, a frightening prospect for any defence, but the Spaniards were more than up for the challenge.
Yamal scored a brace in the 61st minute but was deemed offside. The difference between the two sides on the night was shown minutes later, when Mbappe found himself with the ball in the box. But his marker never let him get a shot off from a decent spot. The 27-year-old was instead forced to take a shot from a slim angle and obviously missed.
For the next 10 minutes, France created more chances and took more shots. But the firm Spanish backline ensured that none of the shots ever threatened Unai Simón.
Spain created a few more chances but never overcommitted, as they looked comfortable with their two-goal lead. The 2-0 scoreline often presents a fallacy to the winning team, as they become too comfortable and allow the chasing team to score. That did not happen today.
As the clock ticked down, France grew more desperate, but that was to no avail. And when Mbappé missed a direct free-kick from the edge of the box, the death knell tolled for France, as their dreams of lifting the World Cup again were dashed.
Spain controlled the game in the stoppage time. And as the referee blew his whistle for full time, the entire team rushed onto the pitch to celebrate only the second World Cup final appearance of their nation.
With a win in this France vs Spain match, the Iberian nation now awaits the winner of semifinal 2 between England and Argentina in the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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