Spain Defeats France 2-0 in the 2026 World Cup Semifinal and Advances to the Final

In the 2026 World Cup semifinal, Spain defeated France 2-0 in the match played in Texas to book their place in the final. European champion Spain secured a very comfortable victory against France, who were considered one of the tournament favorites, with a superior tactical performance on the pitch.

Former French star Patrick Vieira harshly criticized his team's disappointing performance. Vieira particularly highlighted the defensive mistakes of Lucas Digne and Désiré Doué, as well as their inadequacy in winning the ball. He also stated that Michael Olise, one of the tournament's bright players, could not get into the game due to Spain's pressing play, and that France generally failed to exist.

In Spain's path to the goal, Mikel Oyarzabal converted the penalty won after Lamine Yamal was brought down in the penalty area. In the second goal, the flawless passing between Dani Olmo and Pedro Porro left the French defense helpless. Vieira praised the tactical discipline Spain displayed as a squad rather than just their individual talents.