Spain booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final after beating France 2-0 on Tuesday. The Spain vs France Highlights saw La Roja end France’s bid for a third straight FIFA World Cup final appearance.
The victory sends Spain into Sunday’s final, where they will face the winner of the England vs Argentina semifinal. France, meanwhile, will compete in the third-place playoff.
Spain scored in both halves and stayed in control throughout the contest. Here’s how the semifinal unfolded from the opening whistle to the final one.
Key Highlights From the France vs Spain FIFA World Cup 2026 Semifinal First Half
France started brightly and looked to impose themselves in midfield. Their aggressive approach, however, earned Adrien Rabiot an early yellow card inside eight minutes.
Spain gradually settled into their passing game and enjoyed more possession. Their patience paid off in the 22nd minute when Lucas Digne fouled Lamine Yamal inside the penalty area.
Mikel Oyarzabal stepped up and converted the penalty beyond Mike Maignan. The goal gave Spain a deserved lead and left France trailing for the first time in the tournament.
France’s problems grew only minutes later. William Saliba picked up a lower back injury and made way for Maxence Lacroix before the half-hour mark.
Spain kept pressing for a second goal after taking the lead. Their slick passing almost created another breakthrough, but Dayot Upamecano denied Fabián Ruiz with a timely challenge.
France looked for a response before the interval but never found one. They managed only two attempts and failed to register a single shot on target before half-time.
Spain Seal the Win After the Break
Didier Deschamps made an immediate change after the restart, replacing the booked Adrien Rabiot with Manu Koné. He added more attacking intent minutes later by bringing on Désiré Doué for Bradley Barcola.
France introduced Désiré Doué to boost their attack in the 57th minute. A minute later, Pedro Porro finished a neat one-two with Dani Olmo to double Spain’s lead.
Deschamps responded with another double substitution, introducing Theo Hernández and Rayan Cherki. France pushed more bodies forward, but Spain stayed organised and denied them clear opportunities.
Luis de la Fuente then freshened his side with several changes. Ferran Torres, Pedri and Mikel Merino helped Spain control possession and manage the closing stages.
France’s frustration became more visible as the clock ticked down. Mbappé picked up a late yellow card before the final whistle confirmed Spain’s place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final.
Key Stats From Spain vs France FIFA World Cup 2026 Semifinal
Spain stayed in control throughout the semifinal and converted their chances at the right moments. Here are the key numbers from the 2-0 victory over France.
| Stat | France | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 49% | 51% |
| Shots | 14 | 10 |
| Shots on Target | 4 | 2 |
| Total Passes | 408 | 487 |
| Pass Accuracy | 87% | 86% |
| Fouls | 11 | 12 |
| Yellow Cards | 2 | 1 |
| Red Cards | 0 | 0 |
| Offsides | 4 | 5 |
| Corners | 7 | 1 |
The numbers reflected a balanced contest in possession, but Spain made their chances count. France attempted more shots, yet La Roja stayed compact and defended their lead comfortably.
Spain to Face the Winner of England vs Argentina Clash
Spain’s victory secured their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final for the first time since lifting the trophy in 2010. They will now face the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal between England and Argentina.
The result also ended France’s hopes of reaching a third straight World Cup final. Didier Deschamps’ side will instead take on the loser of the second semifinal in the third-place playoff.
Spain now sit one win away from becoming the first team to lift the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup. Another disciplined display in the final could see La Roja add a second world title to their history.
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Conclusion
Spain have booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final and now await their next challenge. One more victory will see La Roja lift the trophy for the second time.
The remaining finalist will be decided when England take on Argentina in the second semifinal. Both teams have impressed during the tournament and will fancy their chances against Spain.
Will Harry Kane lead England into the final, or can Lionel Messi guide Argentina one step closer to another World Cup trophy? Football fans are set for another blockbuster before Sunday’s title clash.
