The Spain vs France World Cup semifinal delivered exactly the kind of statement result nobody in Dallas expected. Spain beat France 2-0 on Tuesday, ending Les Bleus’ bid for a third straight final and exposing several uncomfortable truths about a French side that entered the match as the tournament’s most feared attack.
Spain has now conceded just one goal across seven matches this tournament, and France couldn’t find a way through a defense that has suffocated nearly every opponent it has faced. Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, and Michael Olise combined to generate only 0.3 expected goals from 10 shots, with just three on target all night. It was a defensive masterclass that continued Spain’s run of not trailing in a single match all World Cup, aside from the penalty that put them ahead.
The France Spain World Cup Semifinal turned on one moment of individual error. Lucas Digne tried to head a Marc Cucurella cross away for a clearance, lost track of a charging Lamine Yamal, and instead struck the Spanish teenager across the thigh inside the box. Mikel Oyarzabal calmly converted the resulting penalty in the 22nd minute, and Spain never looked back from there.
For a player who entered the semifinal tied atop the Golden Boot race, Mbappé’s night was strikingly quiet. Spain repeatedly crowded him in transition, limiting his touches in dangerous areas throughout the match. His frustration boiled over when he picked up a yellow card for a foul on Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simón, a rare moment of visible anger from France’s captain during an otherwise anonymous performance.
Didier Deschamps has managed France for 14 years, guiding the team to the 2018 title and the 2022 final, but Tuesday’s loss ends his current cycle at the semifinal stage. Only two teams in World Cup history have ever come back to win a semifinal after trailing at halftime, and France couldn’t become the third, managing just two total shots on goal compared to Spain’s six. Deschamps now has one match left in charge, Saturday’s third-place game.
Entering the France Spain World Cup Semifinal, Mbappé was tied with Lionel Messi at eight goals apiece atop the tournament’s scoring chart. With France eliminated, his tournament total is now frozen at eight, leaving his Golden Boot hopes entirely in Messi’s hands. If Messi scores even once more across Argentina’s remaining matches, the trophy swings decisively in his direction.
Spain advances to Sunday’s final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, its first World Cup final appearance since winning the tournament in 2010. The Spaniards will face the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal between Argentina and England. For full match statistics and analysis from the win, ESPN’s complete match report covers every detail, while NPR’s coverage of the semifinal has additional context on Spain’s dominant performance.
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