In the first semifinal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Spanish national team defeated France 2-0 and advanced to the decisive stage of the tournament.
The goals that brought victory to the Spanish in the match held in Arlington, Texas, USA, were scored by Mikel Oyarzabal from a penalty in the 22nd minute and Pedro Porro in the 58th minute.
Thus, Luis de la Fuente's pupils reached the World Cup final for the second time in their history. Spain will face the winner of the England vs. Argentina match for the main trophy.
Spain had previously reached the World Cup final only once, in 2010 in South Africa, when they defeated the Netherlands 1-0 in extra time to become world champions for the first time in their history.
France, on the other hand, failed to reach the World Cup final for the first time since 2014. Back then, the French lost 1-0 to Germany in the quarterfinals and left the tournament, after which the Germans went on to win the title.
In the next two World Cups, France achieved high results: they became world champions in 2018 and reached the final in 2022. However, in the decisive match, they lost to Argentina in a penalty shootout.
Notably, Spain and France have faced each other in the semifinals of the last three major tournaments in a row.
The Spanish had previously won 2-1 in the Euro 2024 semifinal and 5-4 in the 2025 UEFA Nations League semifinal, and this time they also defeated their opponent to secure a place in the final.
