Spain beat France 2-0 to reach World Cup final

By Hoang Nguyen JUL. 15, 2026

Spain produced a disciplined defensive display and capitalized on France's lackluster attacking performance to secure a 2-0 victory in the 2026 World Cup semifinal on Tuesday, set up their second final in history.

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Bangkok, Hanoi, Jakarta (GMT+7)

July 15
90'+7

Full time: France 0-2 Spain
It was supposed to be the battle between title contenders, but Spain outclassed France in this one. Although France conceded a penalty and lost their key centre-back, their changes didn't work at all and were completely shut down by Spain's flawless performance. A sad ending to Deschamps' stint at the national team, but he still has the chance to say a proper goodbye in the third-place playoff. Meanwhile, Spain will face either England or Argentina with total confidence.

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90'+6

Luis de la Fuente is already celebrating now. His team will play the World Cup final for the first time since 2010, when they won the title.

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90'+5

France are still struggling and it's already the fifth minute of added time. The door to the final is opening wide for Spain.

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90'

Seven minutes for France to get at least a goal back. They nearly got it when Mbappe got a chance to shoot, but Cucurella cleared it and celebrated like he has just scored a goal.

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89'

Yamal went up the right only to lose a wrestling match with Hernandez, but no penalty for Spain.

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86'

Mbappe was booked after losing his temper and tackled Simon when he was picking up the ball. That pretty much summed up France's performance today: helpless and short-tempered.

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84'

More subs for Spain. Porro and Baena are replaced by Nico Williams and Marcos Llorente.

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July 14
81'

A long ball down the middle found Mbappe. Simon came out of the box to clear it. The ball dropped to Doue, and with Simon still outside of the box, he got a real chance to reduce the score. But he hesitated and allowed Simon to get back into the box to block the shot.

France fail to capitalize even when keeper Simon has come out of the box. Photo by Reuters

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78'

Didier Deschamps are furious. France's attacks were going nowhere.

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77'

Two more changes for Spain. Olmo and Ruiz are replaced by Mikel Merino and Pedri.

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Ahead of the 2026 World Cup semifinal clash, Spain are the fifth most frequently encountered opponent in France's history, a rivalry filled with both glorious and bitter moments.

Lamine Yamal (L) vies for the ball with Kylian Mbappe in the 2024 Euro semifinal between Spain and France in Allianz, Munich, Germany, July 9, 2024. Photo by AFP

According to French football history website Chroniques Bleues, the two teams have met a total of 38 times. The first encounter took place in 1922, when France suffered a heavy 0-4 defeat.

The tie currently favors Spain with 18 wins, while France have won 13 times, and there have been 7 draws.