Spain defeated France in the World Cup semi-finals.
Spain beat France 2-0 in the World Cup semi-final at Dallas Stadium, Arlington, with goals from Oyarzabal and Porro; France finished the match trailing from the 22nd minute.
- 0'The match has started.
France hosts Spain.
- 9'Adrien Rabiot received an early yellow card.
In the 9th minute, Adrien Rabiot (France) received a yellow card after a foul. The card came early, at a time when Spain had more possession of the ball.
- 13'Spain controlled the game.
13th minuteSpain is dominating possession with a high percentage.34% - 66%This forced France to focus on defense. However, the game remained uneventful as both teams had only managed a few shots on goal.1 - 1And there haven't been any shots on target yet.
- 22'Oyarzabal coolly opened the scoring for Spain.
In the 22nd minute, Mikel Oyarzabal calmly converted a penalty, giving Spain a 0-1 lead over France. The Spanish team capitalized on the opportunity to open the scoring in the World Cup semi-final.
- 25'Spain controlled the game.
At the 25th minute, Spain was controlling the game with 44% - 56% possession and leading 0 - 1. France was under pressure with only 1 - 2 shots on goal, with a 0 - 1 success rate.
- 30 minutesLacroix comes on, Saliba leaves the match.
In the 30th minute, Maxence Lacroix came on as a substitute for William Saliba for France. This was a notable substitution as France were trailing Spain 0-1.
- 31'Marc Cucurella received a yellow card.
In the 31st minute, Marc Cucurella of Spain received a yellow card for a foul. Spain was still leading France 0-1.
- 37'Spain had the upper hand in terms of possession and control of the game.
At the 37th minute, Spain was leading and had a slight advantage in possession with a 45% - 55% ball control ratio. France had not created much pressure, with only 2-3 shots and 0-1 on target.
- 45'France made a substitution in the 45th minute.
In the 45th minute, Manu Koné came on as a substitute for Adrien Rabiot for France. The French team made the substitution while trailing Spain 1-0.
- 45'End of the first half
At the end of the first half, the score was 0-1.
- 46'The second half has begun.
The second half has begun.
- 49'Spain controlled the game.
49th minuteSpain continued to control the game, possessing the ball 44% of the time compared to France's 56%, and having 2 shots on goal compared to France's 5. The visitors were leading, while France had only 3 corner kicks compared to Spain's 1, but had yet to create a shot on target.
- 57'Désiré Doue comes on to replace Bradley Barcola
In the 57th minute, Désiré Doue came on for France, replacing Bradley Barcola. With France trailing Spain 0-1, Doue's appearance provided an additional option for the following minutes.
- 58'Pedro Porro helps Spain extend their lead.
In the 58th minute, Pedro Porro scored for Spain, increasing the score to 0-2 against France. The Spanish team doubled their lead in the semi-final match.
- 61'Spain controlled the game.
In the 61st minute, Spain was in control with 46% possession and a 0-2 lead over France. Their superiority was further demonstrated by their 2 shots on goal compared to 8, putting considerable pressure on France.
- 72'Theo Hernandez came on as a substitute for Lucas Digne.
In the 72nd minute, Theo Hernandez came on as a substitute for Lucas Digne for France. This was a notable personnel change for the French team in the final minutes.
- 72'Cherki comes on, France seek a new boost.
In the 72nd minute, Rayan Cherki came on as a substitute for Michael Olise. Trailing 0-2, France hoped Cherki's appearance would inject new life into their attack.
- 73'Spain controlled the game.
Up to the 73rd minute, Spain still controlled the game well with 54% possession, and also had a slight advantage in shots (5-8) and on target (0-2). France had more corner kicks (6-1), but were struggling to convert their pressure into clear chances while trailing 0-2.
- 74'Ferrán Torres came on in the 74th minute.
In the 74th minute, Ferrán Torres came on as a substitute for Mikel Oyarzabal. Spain gained renewed energy while leading France 0-2.
- 78'Spain made a substitution in the 78th minute.
In the 78th minute, Spain made a substitution: Mikel Merino came on for Daniel Olmo Carvajal. Leading 2-0, Spain had another personnel option for the final minutes.
- 78'Pedri came on as a substitute for Fabián Ruiz.
78th minutePedri came on as a substitute for Fabián Ruiz for Spain. With France leading 0-2, Pedri's appearance was a notable change in the final minutes.
- 83'VAR cancels Theo Hernandez's corner kick.
In the 83rd minute, VAR disallowed Theo Hernandez's (France) corner kick. Spain remained leading 0-2 in the semi-final match.
- 84'Marcos Llorente came on in the 84th minute.
In the 84th minute, Marcos Llorente came on as a substitute for Pedro Porro for Spain. This was a personnel change when Spain was leading France 0-2.
- 84'Nico Williams came on late in the game.
In the 84th minute, Nico Williams came on as a substitute for Alejandro Baena Rodríguez, bringing renewed energy to Spain. With a 0-2 lead, Spain could be more proactive in the final minutes.
- 85'Spain maintains the initiative.
85th minuteSpain maintained the initiative, controlling possession 48% - 52% and having a superior number of shots (6 - 9), with 1 - 2 on target. France tried to find a way to score but were on the defensive, trailing by two goals.
- 86'Mbappé received a yellow card in the 86th minute.
In the 86th minute, Kylian Mbappé (France) received a yellow card for a foul. With France already trailing 0-2, this card only added to the tension in the final minutes.
- KTFinal score: France 0-2 Spain
The match ended with a score of 0-2.
Updated at 04:00 on July 15, 2026
Match information
France will face Spain in the World Cup semi-finals at 02:00 on July 15, 2026. This is a knockout match on a neutral ground, where the winner advances and the loser is eliminated.
Both teams are in perfect form.
France entered the semi-final with a streak of five consecutive wins in their last five matches. This was a crucial foundation for the team in a decisive game, as any mistake could end their journey in the tournament.
Spain also boasts a similar record, winning all of their last five matches. Therefore, considering their current form, the two teams are clearly evenly matched, and neither side shows any signs of decline ahead of this encounter.
The head-to-head history favors Spain.
In their last five encounters, Spain has won four matches, while France has won only one, and there have been no draws. This trend gives Spain a certain advantage in terms of head-to-head encounters, even though the two teams are currently in similar form.
Notably, head-to-head statistics cannot replace current performance. France has won all of their last five matches, and Spain has maintained a similar streak. Therefore, historical data is a point of reference, but it is not sufficient to definitively say which team will dominate throughout the match.
The match did not have the home advantage.
The match took place on a neutral ground as part of a centralized tournament. Therefore, neither team had the advantage of playing at home, with their own fans, or familiar playing conditions. This means the focus of the analysis lies in form, the ability to control pressure, and how each team handled crucial moments.
The key tactical point
The data provided does not include match diagrams, expected lineups, absence lists, or other technical statistics. Therefore, there is no basis to determine the personnel arrangement or a specific game plan for France and Spain.
However, the semi-final nature will force both teams to balance attacking ambition with caution. With both sides enjoying five consecutive wins, the ability to maintain focus during crucial stages could be the big difference. Spain has the advantage of having won four of their last five encounters, while France enters the match in equally strong form.
Pre-match analysis
This semi-final tie is difficult to break down based solely on form, as both France and Spain have won all five of their most recent matches. Spain has a slight edge in head-to-head encounters, but France has a solid foundation to create a competitive match thanks to their perfect run of results leading up to kick-off.
On a neutral ground, the match is more likely to be decided by composure in crucial moments rather than geographical advantage. Neither side can afford to underestimate the other in a contest where the loser is eliminated.
*This article was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI).
