France vs Spain—World Cup: Live score and match stats

FULL-TIME! SPAIN ARE IN THE WORLD CUP FINAL!
Spain 2 - 0 France

An absolute masterclass from La Roja from start to finish. Didier Deschamps' long, historic reign as France manager ends in total heartbreak under the Texas lights as his shell-shocked Les Bleus simply had no answers for Spain's dazzling technical dominance.Mikel Oyarzabal set the tone early with a coolly converted 22nd-minute penalty, and Pedro Porro's beautifully worked, liquid-gold one-two with Dani Olmo in the 58th minute sealed their fate.

France huffed and puffed, but between Marc Cucurella throwing his body on the line and Kylian Mbappé skiting his best late effort over the crossbar, the night belonged entirely to Spain. Spain head to the showpiece final, while an era draws to a close for France. Turn out the lights, the Spanish masterclass has conquered Dallas!

90+5' | CLOSE! Williams Tests Maignan

The clock is ticking down rapidly for France. Nico Williams breaks forward on the counter and tries his luck from a tight angle, forcing Mike Maignan to closely watch the ball as it flashes safely wide and behind. Just three minutes left for Spain to seal their place in the final!

90+1' | DEFENSIVE MASTERCLASS! Cucurella Denies Cherki

We are into seven minutes of stoppage time! Rayan Cherki looks to weave his way into the box for a late French lifeline, but Marc Cucurella executes a brilliant, sliding interception to steal the ball away. The Spanish left-back celebrates the tackle like a goal—and why not? Spain are now just minutes away from the final!

89' | CHANCE MISSED! Mbappé Fires Over

It is just not working out for France tonight. Kylian Mbappé cuts inside, searching for that trademark moment of magic, but his curled effort flies harmlessly high over the crossbar. A symbol of France's evening as the final whistle looms.

86' | YELLOW CARD! Frustration for Mbappé

Kylian Mbappé sees yellow. The French captain's growing frustration boils over as he commits a cynical foul, earning himself a booking from the referee as the clock ticks down relentlessly on Les Bleus.

85' | REVISED SUB! Twin Switch for Spain

Correction from the touchline: it's actually a double switch for Spain as they freshen things up for the final five minutes. Along with Pedro Porro, Álex Baena also makes way. On come the defensive reinforcement of Marcos Llorente and the electric pace of Nico Williams, giving France even more to think about on the counter.

79' | DOUBLE SUB! Spain Refresh the Midfield

Spain respond with a double substitution of their own to lock down the closing stages. Dani Olmo and Fabián Ruiz make way, replaced by the technical control of Pedri and the aerial presence of super-sub Mikel Merino, reinforcing the midfield engine room.

77' | TRACKED BACK! Yamal Fouls Mbappé

Lamine Yamal shows incredible defensive work rate, sprinting all the way back to halt Kylian Mbappé in his tracks as the French captain looked to explode down the left wing. Yamal stops the danger but concedes a foul in the process, gifting France a promising free kick out wide.

74' | SUB! Spain Freshen the Attack

Spain make a tactical switch as goalscorer Mikel Oyarzabal makes way for Ferran Torres, bringing fresh legs and blistering pace into the Spanish frontline to keep the tiring French defense under pressure.

73' | DOUBLE SUB! France Roll the Dice

Thierry Henry rolls the dice with a double switch as Les Bleus hunt for a lifeline. Michael Olise and Lucas Digne head off, replaced by the attacking intent of Rayan Cherki and the overlapping pace of Théo Hernandez.

69' | DRINKS BREAK! Mounting Mountain to Climb

The referee calls for the second drinks break of the match—ironically matching the exact number of goals France currently trail by. It is quite astonishing to see Les Bleus so thoroughly outplayed, and they now have just over twenty minutes to find an answer to this Spanish masterclass.

65' | SHELL SHOCKED! Mbappé Wins Corner

Les Bleus are visibly struggling to respond and look utterly rattled, with Spain looking far more likely to find a third than concede. France desperately need a repeat of Kylian Mbappé’s legendary heroics from the 2022 World Cup final. Trying to spark a comeback himself, the French skipper drives forward and whips in a dangerous cross, forcing Unai Simón to palm it behind at the near post for a corner.

61' | NO GOAL! Yamal Thwarted by the Flag

Lamine Yamal thinks he's scored a absolute wondergoal, cutting inside and unleashing a magical, bending finish into the top corner! He even wags his finger in celebration as if to say 'how dare you?', but the linesman's flag goes up immediately to cut the joy short. Lucas Digne gets lucky once again, as Yamal had been running him ragged in the buildup.

58' | GOAL! Porro Doubles the Lead: France 0 - 2 Spain

A absolute Spanish masterclass! Pass, move, pass, goal—devastatingly beautiful football. Dani Olmo exquisitely guides the ball into the path of Pedro Porro, absorbing a heavy clattering from Upamecano to release his full-back. Porro keeps his cool entirely, sitting Mike Maignan down with a deft feint before side-footing home to double Spain's advantage!

57' | SUB! Doué Enters the Fray

Désiré Doué replaces Bradley Barcola as France desperately searches for a spark. The youngster already has a pedigree for shifting games—having won a crucial penalty against Paraguay and setting up the opener against Morocco. France need some Bastille Day fireworks to turn this around, and Doué might just be the one to light the fuse!

55' | CHANCE DENIED! Double Switch Incoming

Bradley Barcola surges into a dangerous position but is brilliantly thwarted by the combined efforts of Pedro Porro and goalkeeper Unai Simón. Sensing the need for inspiration, France are preparing to ring the changes as the exciting youngster Désiré Doué is summoned from the bench.

49' | MIDFIELD CLASH! Upamecano Wins Free Kick

Fabián Ruiz gets a little too aggressive in a 50-50 challenge, conceding a foul on Dayot Upamecano who smartly shields the ball to win a relieving free kick for France deep in their own half.

46' | SECOND HALF SUB! Koné In, Rabiot Out

France kicks off the second half with a crucial change as the booked A. Rabiot makes way for Manu Koné, a tactical switch aimed at injecting much-needed mobility and energy into the French midfield.

45'+7' | HALF TIME! Spain Lead at the Break

The referee blows the whistle to bring an action-packed first half to a close, with Spain holding onto their narrow lead thanks to Oyarzabal's penalty, leaving France with plenty of work to do in the second half.

45'+4' | STOPPAGE TIME FOUL! Koundé Wins Free Kick

Deep into added time, J. Koundé uses his body well to draw a cynical foul from Álex Baena, giving France a dangerous set-piece opportunity late in the half.

45' | EXTRA TIME! Six Minutes Added

The fourth official raises the board to signal six minutes of stoppage time, giving France a final lifeline to find an equalizer before the halftime whistle blows.

42' | CORNER AGAIN! Cubarsí Denies France

France wins yet another corner just before the break, forced out by the ubiquitous Pau Cubarsí who continues to act as a one-man wall to halt the French attack.

37' | CLOSE SHOT! Porro Fires Wide

Fabián Ruiz picks out Pedro Porro with a sharp pass, but the full-back's ambitious right-footed effort from outside the box lacks the necessary curl and flashes wide of the left post.

34' | OFFSIDE RESCUE! Penalty Claim Denied

Spain orchestrate a dangerous attack as Álex Baena gathers a cleared ball at the edge of the box and goes down under a heavy challenge from French keeper Mike Maignan, prompting furious penalty appeals from the Spanish players. However, the referee swiftly dismisses the claims as the linesman's flag was already up for offside at the start of the play, letting France off the hook in a massive sigh of relief.

31' | BOOKED! Cucurella in the Book

M. Cucurella is shown a yellow card after committing a cynical foul, adding his name to the referee's notebook and handing France a dangerous set-piece opportunity.

24' | TIME TO REGROUP! Drinks Break

The referee calls for a mandatory drinks break, giving France a vital opportunity to regroup, rethink their strategy, and figure out how to crack this Spanish defense after falling behind.

22' | GOAL! Oyarzabal Converts
France 0 - 1 Spain

Mikel Oyarzabal steps up under immense pressure and coolly slots home a lethal left-footed strike from the penalty spot, sending the keeper the wrong way to break the deadlock!

20' | PENALTY! Lifeline for Spain

Drama in the box as the referee points straight to the spot, awarding Spain a massive penalty kick and a golden opportunity to break the deadlock!

10' | BIZARRE DELAY! Ref Forgets Spray

Play comes to a grinding halt in a bizarre moment as the referee realizes he left his vanishing spray on the sideline before a crucial free kick. Both teams are forced to wait while the official retrieves his toolkit, giving the players a brief breather to regroup before the wall is finally marked and the match gets back underway.

9' | BOOKED! Rabiot Sees Yellow

A. Rabiot enters the referee's notebook early after a cynical challenge, picking up a yellow card and walking a tightrope for the remainder of the match. 

6' | CORNER! France Threatens

France wins a corner after pushing deep into enemy territory, forced out by a decisive intervention from Pau Cubarsí who was left with no choice but to concede the set piece.

1' | KICKOFF! Underway

Spain start with the ball, moving it quickly across the backline as they look to establish an early rhythm and take control of the tempo right from the whistle.

Clash of titans in Texas: France and Spain lock in lineups for epic World Cup semifinal

The grandest stage in international football has reached its business end as European heavyweights France and Spain collide at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas, for a highly anticipated FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal matchup. With a coveted spot in the tournament finale on the line, both managers have locked in their official starting combinations, tactical setups, and deep benches. The winner of this blockbuster encounter will punch their ticket to Sunday's championship match to face either Argentina or England.

France manager Didier Deschamps has lined up Les Bleus in a balanced and familiar 4-2-3-1 formation. Mike Maignan anchors the side between the posts, aiming to build on a defense that has kept three consecutive clean sheets in the knockout rounds. The central defensive axis is marshaled by William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano, while Jules Koundé and Lucas Digne operate on the fullback channels.

The midfield double-pivot features the industrious engine room pairing of Aurélien Tchouaméni and Adrien Rabiot, which allows former Gladbach star Manu Koné to drop to the bench. The fluid attacking unit sees Michael Olise pull the creative strings in the hole, flanked by the blistering pace of Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembélé on the wings. Leading the line is world-class captain Kylian Mbappé, who sits tied at the top of the World Cup goalscoring charts with eight goals. Deschamps retains massive game-changing depth in reserve, with N'Golo Kanté, Marcus Thuram, and Rayan Cherki available from the dugout.

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente counters with an identical 4-2-3-1 structural blueprint engineered to control territorial possession and restrict France's dangerous transition threat. Unai Simón commands the goalmouth behind a sturdy defensive wall containing central defenders Aymeric Laporte and teenage prodigy Pau Cubarsí. Pedro Porro and Marc Cucurella complete the backline at fullback. The midfield axis features defensive midfield pillar Rodri alongside the physical presence of Fabián Ruiz, providing a solid foundation for the technical final third. The creative engine revolves around Dani Olmo operating in the advanced playmaker role, flanked by Álex Baena and generational teenage sensation Lamine Yamal on the right wing. Mikel Oyarzabal receives the responsibility to spearhead the frontline as a fluid central target man. De la Fuente holds world-class depth on his bench, with Nico Williams, Gavi, and Pedri waiting to make a high-impact entrance if called upon.

France National Football Team

Starting Line-up
16 M. Maignan (GK), 5 J. Koundé (D), 17 W. Saliba (D), 4 D. Upamecano (D), 3 L. Digne (D), 8 A. Tchouaméni (M), 14 A. Rabiot (M), 7 O. Dembélé (M), 11 M. Olise (M), 12 B. Barcola (M), 10 K. Mbappé (A)

Substitutions
1 B. Samba, 2 M. Gusto, 6 M. Koné, 9 M. Thuram, 13 N. Kanté, 15 I. Konaté, 18 W. Zaïre-Emery, 19 T. Hernández, 20 D. Doué, 21 L. Hernández, 22 J. Mateta, 23 R. Risser, 24 R. Cherki, 25 M. Akliouche, 26 M. Lacroix

Manager
Didier Claude Deschamps

Spain National Football Team

Starting Line-up
23 Unai Simón (GK), 12 Pedro Porro (D), 22 Pau Cubarsí (D), 14 Aymeric Laporte (D), 24 M. Cucurella (D), 16 Rodri (M), 8 Fabián Ruiz (M), 19 Lamine Yamal (M), 10 Dani Olmo (M), 15 Álex Baena (M), 21 Mikel Oyarzabal (A)

Substitutions
1 David Raya, 2 Marc Pubill, 3 Alejandro Grimaldo, 4 Eric García, 5 Marcos Llorente, 6 Mikel Merino, 7 Ferran Torres, 9 Gavi, 11 Yéremy Pino, 13 Joan García, 17 Nico Williams, 18 Martín Zubimendi, 20 Pedri, 25 Víctor Muñoz, 26 Borja Iglesias

Manager
Luis de la Fuente Castillo