The first semi-final match of the 2026 World Cup was held in the USA, featuring the national teams of France and Spain. As a result of the game, Spain won 2-0 and became the first finalist of the Mundial.

How the match went:

After the first half, the Spanish national team was already leading France 1-0. The only goal in the 22nd minute from a penalty was scored by Mikel Oyarzabal after Theo Digne fouled Lamine Yamal in the penalty area.

During the first half of the encounter, the Spanish had more possession and created several dangerous moments. In the 38th minute, they were close to a second goal after a mistake by goalkeeper Mike Maignan, but Fabián Ruiz failed to finish the attack accurately.

France, considered one of the tournament favorites, had not yet had a single shot on target. In the 30th minute, Didier Deschamps' team lost defender William Saliba due to injury; he was replaced by Maxence Lacroix. At the end of the half, Kylian Mbappé had a chance to make the game more dangerous, but goalkeeper Unai Simón came out of his goal in time and averted the danger.

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In the 58th minute, Spaniard Pedro Porro scored the second goal into the opponent's net.

In the second half, France intensified their efforts but could not equalize. In the 61st minute, Lamine Yamal scored a third goal, but it was disallowed for offside. Kylian Mbappé threatened Spain's goal several times, but his shots were inaccurate. In the 86th minute, the French captain received a yellow card for a rough foul on goalkeeper Unai Simón, and at the end of the match, he failed to convert a dangerous free kick, shooting over the bar.

We remind you that France and Spain had played 38 matches against each other before this. Spain has the advantage in head-to-head encounters - 18 wins against France's 13, with another seven games ending in a draw. The previous two matches between the teams - in the semi-finals of Euro 2024 and the Nations League - also ended in victories for the Spanish.

The Spanish national team has reached the World Cup final for the second time in history. In the decisive match, Luis de la Fuente's team will play against the winner of the England-Argentina semi-final, which will take place on July 15. France will compete for the bronze medals with the team that loses the second semi-final.