For the first time since winning the World Cup in 2010, Spain are in the final after defeating France 2-0 in Arlington, Texas on Tuesday. After Lucas Digne conceded a penalty for a foul on Lamine Yamal, which Mikel Oyarzabal drove home for a 1-0 lead in the 22nd minute, the Spanish midfield went to work shutting things down. They then capitalized on a French mistake for Pedro Porro to double the lead in the second half of play.
Spain have continued their run of defeating France, which they also did on the way to becoming the European champions in 2024, and they'll now face either England (who they defeated in that Euro Championship) or Argentina.
Didier Deschamps has already announced that this was his final World Cup in charge of France after winning in 2018 and coming in as runners-up in 2022, but this tournament will end in disappointment, despite playing dominant soccer until this point, Spain's defense delivered and shut down the tournament's most fearsome attack. Luis De La Fuente's squad have only allowed one goal during this tournament, with a record six shutouts in one tournament. The early goal mattered as from there Spain were able to play the game at their preferred pace, but it's such an impressive job to stop a French attack that has the Golden Boot leader (Mbappe), assist leader (Michael Olise), and another player with five goals (Ousmane Dembele).
France also suffered a major injury during the match as center back William Saliba went down with a non contact injruy during the match. He was banged up coming into the World Cup, dealing with a back injury, and if he misses any time, it could be a major blow to Arsenal as they look to retain their Premier League title.
While it has been an excellent World Cup for France, they exited with more of a whimper as Spain's teenagers, Pau Cubarsi and Yamal, got the better of the game as France were held to only 0.30 expected goals. Rodri continues his run of dominance for club and country with his own role in Spain's dominant defense, anchoring the base of midfield, but facing France, it was keeper Unai Simon whose aggression paid off. Simon had multiple times when he came off his line to stop French counterattacks from happening, and while that's easier to do with a defense of Aymeric Laporte, Cubarsi and Rodri supporting you, it's still impressive how Spain didn't allow one of the top-scoring teams to get into their attacking flow.
It's important to remember that this level of dominance isn't exactly normal for Spain. Coming from coaching the Spanish youth sides, De La Fuente led the ranks and took over the senior team in 2022, and they haven't looked back since. It has been an overhaul with the youth system performing in a similar way to the senior side, and it shows with how many young players have contributed. Nico Williams only played six minutes due to going through his own injury recovery at a time when he was expected to start for the squad, and they didn't miss a beat. Similarly with Pedri on the bench for Fabian Ruiz, De La Fuente is spoiled for choice.
It's not over for France yet as they can send Deschamps off on a high note in the third-place game in Miami, and it's also a time where Mbappe will be looking to secure the Golden Boot. He's level with Lionel Messi on eight goals right now, but currently has the lead due to having more assists, but that will be something to play for even if their bid for a third consecutive World Cup final appearance came up just short.
They actually lost the possession battle and had to withstand a few late chances from France, but Spain were dominant from start to finish, going ahead 22 minutes into the match and becoming the first team to score more than one goal against France at this tournament. Spain were last in the final in 2010, which ended with winning the World Cup, will that be the case again on Sunday?
Tracking back, Doue goes for the goal, and Simon makes his body bigger to make the save as Cubarsi does well to cover the net if needed.
Being able to sub in Pedri and Mikel Merino is an excellent example of being spoiled for riches when it comes to depth.
Olise and Digne exit for Hernandez and Cherki as France will try to close this gap in the next 18 minutes. This is going to be quite a finish as Ferran Torres is also getting ready for Spain.
After a lot of ball watching from France, after Dani Olmo goes down, Perdo Porro jeeps running into the box and scores his second goal of the World Cup. This is now an absolute mountain for France to climb.
We're in the 55th minute, and it's clear that France needs to change things, so a winger is about to come in to change that as Spain are still pushing the pace. It'll be the standard shift of Barcola off, Doue on.
Already on a yellow card, Kone has now entered to make sure France doesn't go down to 10 men early in the second half as they try to get back into this match.
It's the first time that France have trailed in the tournament and Didier Deschamps will now look to see how to shift this game. Kylian Mbappe only had 15 touches and no shots in the first half, which is something that will need to change if they are to get back into this. Spain's only goal has come from the penalty spot, but that's not something that they'll mind at this stage, as it allows them to play the match at a slower tempo.
France have looked a little better in the closing moments of the half, but Spain will still be comfortable with how this is going as the Frencha will need a special moment.
1-2 passing between Yamal and Ruiz almost led to a Spain goal, but Dayot Upamecano kept this within a goal with a strong block. France are feeling the pressure as this wears on.
He's been banged up all World Cup with back issues, and the Arsenal defender is about to come off for Maxence Lacroix. This is a major blow for France after just going behind by a goal.
Yamal forces France into a foul, and right now, Mikel Oyarzabal has the ball, and he won't miss putting Spain ahead 1-0 in the 22nd minute of play. France are up against it now as Spain can go into ball control mode.
Baena tries to catch Fance off balance from a free kick, but it doesn't work out there. Slowly, this game is beginning to come into shape.
It took six minutes for France to have their first shot of the match, coming via Adrien Rabiot, as it has been a very balanced start to this one, and neither team has been able to push the pace in possession.
Spain has the ball, and they'll look to break down France's defense.
It's hard to separate these two teams, and I wouldn't be surprised if this is a match that goes on for 120+ minutes, but the Spanish midfield is hard to knock off the ball. If Spain controls the tempo, then it's going to be a slim victory for them. Score: Spain 1, France 0
Spain will be motivated as being considered the second-favorite behind France to win this World Cup. Their road to the semifinal has been an interesting case study in composure under stress.
La Roja went unbeaten and largely untouched through the group stage, despite a surprising draw against tournament darlings Cabo Verde. And even in early knockouts they cruised against Austria and Portugal, before finally being tested by Belgium, who became the first team to score against them all tournament. Head coach Luis de la Fuente has leaned on his bench for big moments, and Mikel Merino has now scored decisive late goals in back-to-back knockout matches.
While they're one of Europe's giants, they're chasing a title that's eluded them since 2010. The last time they were in the World Cup semifinals was when they won the whole thing, after getting grouped in 2014, and round of 16 exits in 2018 and 2022, they'll want more this time around.
Lamine Yamal, still chasing his first goal of the tournament, remains a nightly threat who forces opposing defenses into uncomfortable decisions, and Rodri's control in midfield has been the platform underpinning everything Spain does.
Here's why they'll win: The case for Spain is they're back in the semifinals for the first time since their 2010 title run, and a defense that conceded just once all tournament suggests this group knows how to grind out results. It makes them different from the 2010 team that won it all. Especially with a 17-year-old Lamine Yamal still chasing his first knockout round goal of the tournament, and Rodri's ability to control the midfield.
Here's why they won't: They've now shown they can be got at, and France's pace in transition is a different kind of test than anything Spain has faced so far. Maybe there's a layer of pressure on Yamal, whether he does or does not perform well in the semi. While Merino's magic off the bench has come just in the nick of time, doing that against France will require more than one spark at the right time.
France will face Spain in Dallas, and the odds makers will look to this match for a favorite to lift the cup. It's not hard to guess why.
Les Bleus made quick work of the group stage, defeating Senegal, Norway, and Iraq by multi-goal margins. They then repeated the process against Sweden in the round of 32 with a 3-0 win, followed by a defensive test in the round of 16 against Paraguay with a 1-0 victory, before eliminating Morocco 2-0 in the quarterfinals.
The squad has functioned with almost a kind of controlled efficiency that has defined their World Cup journey, handling teams with relative ease.
Here's why they'll win: Forward Kylian Mbappe is in outrageous form, ruthless in front of goal, and striking fear in opposing backlines. Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembélé also give France a wealth of attacking talent. They are two players who can take over games with individual brilliance, or complement Mbappe in tough games.
This is also a squad with a recent World Cup pedigree. They have back-to-back final appearances, winning the 2018 World Cup and a runners-up finish in 2022.
Here's why they won't: While France's attack is lethal, there has only been one serious question mark -- defensive solidity. Reports that William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano both sat out training ahead of Tuesday's semifinal are a concern, as the centerback duo has been the key to a security vault for France.
Another is just the right team, at the worst time. France's journey has been mostly dominant. Now they're up against a team considered a co-favorite in the tournament. If Spain's press disrupts their rhythm, France could find themselves searching for answers.
Kylian Mbappe's 2026 World Cup campaign has cemented his place among the greatest players in tournament history. The French forward is currently the joint-top scorer with eight goals and moved into second place on the all-time World Cup scoring chart with 20 goals, just behind Lionel Messi's 21. His 11 goal contributions in 2026 (8 goals and 3 assists) so far are the most by any player in a World Cup since Gerd Müller's 13 in 1970. Mbappe also holds the record for the most game-winning goals in World Cup history with eight and the most knockout-stage goals all-time with 12, and the most matches with two or more goals, having achieved the feat seven times. He is the only player in the last 60 years to record ten or more direct goal involvements in two separate World Cup editions, following his 10 contributions in 2022 (8 goals, 2 assists) with 11 in 2026. With 17 wins in 20 World Cup appearances, Mbappe owns the best winning percentage (85%) of any player with at least 15 matches in the competition.
France opened their tournament with a 3-1 victory against Senegal, followed by a dominant 3-0 win over Iraq and a 4-1 dismantling of a heavily rotated Norway, to win first place in Group I. Manager Didier Deschamps and the squad steamrolled Sweden 3-0 in the round of 32 before winning 1-0 against Paraguay and 2-0 against Morocco in the quarterfinasl. Spain kicked things off by struggling to score past World Cup goalkeeper sensation Vozinha in a shock draw with Cabo Verde, but that was the end of their struggles. It's the one match during the World Cup that Lamine Yamal didn't start, and his presence in the XI has made a significant impact, although their driving force has been Mikel Oyarzabal's four goals during the World Cup. He scored a brace against Saudi Arabia before Spain defeated Uruguay 1-0, and then followed it up with another in the round of 32, where Austria couldn't do anything to trouble them. Even facing Portugal's talented midfield, Spain's control in possession took the sting out of the game, leading to a routine 1-0 win before winning 2-1 against Belgium thanks to the goals scored by Fabian Ruiz and Mikel Merino.
My pick to win the World Cup before the tournament started and still holding that place, Spain haven't hit their top gear, but they've gotten matches into submission to make the semifinals. Partially, this is down to the defense, even with Unai Simon's record shutout streak coming to an end, and another large portion is down to Mikel Oyarzabal picking up the slack in attack to score four goals while Lamine Yamal struggles to get back to his best. While the Barcelona man can break a game open at any moment, it has felt like he is pushing too much during this World Cup. Taking shots from distance is one of the things that makes Yamal great, but it also creates easy counter attacks for other teams to take advantage of.
That's where Spain's midfield comes into play. Having Pedri and Rodri, even if there's a counter attack coming their way, Spain can clean it up. They're also so pragmatic when attacking under Luis de la Fuente that if Spain aren't pressed, they'll just pass you into submission. Both Portugal and Belgium figured out that fate while also learning about super sub Mikel Merino, that's right, six of Spain's 11 goals during the World Cup have been scored by someone named Mikel, able to play in midfield or pop up as an emergency striker. There aren't many better players to bring off the bench during a tournament like the World Cup. Spain's approach and depth are what set them apart, and while it may be a 1a and 1b situation when trying to separate them from France, it makes enough of a difference to rank them first here, as Dallas will be home to as much of a World Cup final as New Jersey.
France and Spain are set for just their second meeting ever at the World Cup. Their only previous World Cup clash came in the 2006 round of 16, when France won 3-1. Spain took the lead through David Villa in the 28th minute, but France responded with goals from Franck Ribery, Patrick Vieira and Zinédine Zidane to complete the comeback before losing the final against Italy. This semifinal marks the third consecutive summer that Spain and France have faced each other in a major competition semifinal. Spain won the previous two meetings, defeating France 2-1 in the UEFA Euro 2024 semifinal and edging them 5-4 in the 2025 UEFA Nations League semifinal.
Kylian Mbappe is matching Lionel Messi step for step at the World Cup with eight goals of his own, upstaging his own French teammates at this tournament. Ousmane Dembele has five goals and two assists, and Michael Olise has five assists, only one behind Pelé for the most at any single edition of the World Cup. As France are in the midst of Didier Deschamps' last World Cup in charge of the team, they've morphed into one of the best attacking squads in the world. Les Bleus are usually associated with being a bit of a plodding side that takes the fun out of games, but that hasn't been the case during this World Cup. Even going through these attackers, I haven't mentioned Bradley Barcola and Desire Doue, who have also chipped in when needed. It's an embarrassment of riches going forward for Deschamps, and when he's a manager who wants to get his best 11 on the field whenever possible, it shouldn't be a surprise that they've been able to attack like this.
Physicality has been where France has struggled, as Paraguay gave France everything that they could handle in the round of 16. Some of that is also chalked up to heat, but that won't be a factor in the semifinal since that takes place in a climate-controlled stadium in Dallas. But France will face off against the best defense in the tournament and a midfield that can push them, especially if Aurelien Tchouameni doesn't return to the starting XI. With only Andre Rabiot, N'Golo Kante, Kouadio Kone, Warren Zaire-Emery, and Tchouameni in central midfield, if there's one area of this quad that could be a concern, it's the centre of the park, which is where Spain are at their strongest.
Pedri is on the bench for a second consecutive match with Fabian Ruiz keeping his place following Spain's win over Belgium.
Spain XI: Unai Simon; Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella; Rodri, Fabian Ruiz, Dani Olmo; Lamine Yamal, Mikel Oyarzabal, Alex Baena.
The midfield is back to full strength as Aurelien Tchouameni comes back in, but Bradley Barcola slots in on the wing over Desire Doue.
France XI: Mike Maignan; Lucas Digne, William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano, Jules Kounde; Adrien Rabiot, Aurelien Tchouameni; Bradley Barcola, Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele; Kylian Mbappe.
Date: Tuesday, July 14 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
Location: AT&T Stadium -- Arlington, Texas.
TV: Fox (Eng), Telemundo (Spa) | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free)
Odds: France +137; Draw +211; Spain +211
Soon, we'll know half of the World Cup final as Spain and France meet in Dallas for the World Cup semifinal. Whoever the winner of this match is will be seen as the favorite for the final, but neither will be thinking that far ahead, as there is plenty on the line right now. Spain have only conceded one goal during the tournament, but despite worries about the French defense, they've only conceded two goals during the tournament, but something has to give.
