France and Spain will meet in one of the two 2026 World Cup semifinals, in what promises to be a thrilling showdown. Despite their historic rivalry on the international stage, it may come as a surprise that this will only be the second time the two nations have faced each other in World Cup history.
However, these two teams have faced each other more often in another historic international competition, the UEFA European Championship. In the Euros, both Les Bleus and La Roja have recorded two victories each, along with one draw.
Dallas Stadium will host a thrilling head-to-head battle between Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe, a matchup that may bring back memories of their intriguing clashes between Barcelona and Real Madrid. Which of these two stars will ultimately take the next step toward the World Cup Final?
The only World Cup meeting between France and Spain
The only time Spain and France have ever faced each other in a FIFA World Cup was during the 2006 tournament in Germany. Meeting in the Round of 16, Spain initially took the lead with a penalty goal by David Villa. However, France launched a spectacular comeback, equalizing through Franck Ribery before Patrick Vieira and Zinedine Zidane sealed a 3-1 victory, knocking out a young Spanish squad and sending Les Bleus to the quarter-finals.
Florent Malouda of France battles for the ball with Luis Garcia of Spain.
A historic last meeting
The last official meeting between the Spain and France national teams was an absolute thriller on June 5, 2025, in the UEFA Nations League semifinals. On that occasion, Spain edged out a 5-4 victory at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Stuttgart, making it the highest-scoring match in the history of this European classic.
La Roja‘s goals came courtesy of a brace from Lamine Yamal, alongside strikes from Nico Williams, Mikel Merino, and Pedri, while Kylian Mbappe, Rayan Cherki, Randal Kolo Muani, and an own goal kept Les Bleus in the fight.
Chasing glory
The 2026 World Cup semifinal bracket is finally set, featuring four historic teams. In addition to the highly anticipated European showdown, the stage is set for the thrilling clash between Argentina and England, who will meet next Wednesday, July 15, at Atlanta Stadium.
Spain and France will face off one day earlier, also at 3 PM ET, in Dallas. The two teams that emerge victorious from these semifinal clashes will meet in the World Cup Final on Sunday, July 19, at 3 PM ET at New York New Jersey Stadium.
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