Well, that wasn't what anyone expected was it? On Tuesday, European heavyweights France and Spain went head-to-head in a World Cup semifinal at Jerry World, with most asserting that this was a meeting of the best two national teams on the planet. Ahead of kick off, les Bleus were favorites, with most forecasting that they would go on to win the World Cup this weekend, but la Roja had clearly not been sent that particular script.
Midway through the first half, Spain broke the deadlock from the penalty spot. Lucas Digne was penalized by referee Iván Barton for kicking a mid-air Lamine Yamal, with Mikel Oyarzabal emphatically converting the subsequent spot-kick. Mike Maignan barely even saw it.
Then, shortly after the break, Pedro Porro played a nice one-two with Dani Olmo, before bursting into acres of space and calmly slotting in a second. All observees were expecting France to pile on the pressure to save its World Cup campaign but, as it turned out, that was all she wrote.
Spain turned the world's biggest semifinal into a mismatch
Statistics | France | Spain |
|---|---|---|
Goals | 0 | 2 |
Shots | 10 | 10 |
Shots on target | 3 | 2 |
Big chances | 0 | 3 |
Possession | 49% | 51% |
Remarkably, France did not muster a single shot on target until the 95th minute. Prior to that, the only trouble any French attacker managed to cause Unai Simón was when Kylian Mbappé barged into the goalkeeper out of pure frustration.
Didier Deschamps will leave his post as France manager after this tournament, following 12 years in the role, and his team has exited the World Cup with an absolute whimper. France had been scintillating all throughout the competition, swatting everyone aside, before putting in a truly lifeless display when it really mattered. Which means Deschamps' 185th match in charge and farewell will come in Saturday's third-place play-off in Miami, the fixture in which no one ever wants to be involved.
Spain is one win away from another historic milestone
On the flip side, Spain's supremacy continues. This is the third summer in a row in which they have beaten France in a tournament semifinal. Back in 2024, Luis de la Fuente's team prevailed in the Euros in Munich, en route to glory in Germany, before also ousting France 5-4 in the UEFA Nations League last June.
Spain's victory extends its unbeaten run (excluding shootouts) to 37 matches, matching Italy's world record. A win over England or Argentina in Sunday's final at MetLife would set a new mark, further cementing this Spain side as one of the greatest in international soccer history.
Considering how well they played to demolish France, Spain will certainly fancy their chances of beating whomever they play in New Jersey. Following his spot-kick on Tuesday, Mikel Oyarzabal has now netted 17 times in his last 19 internationals, and is certainly the unsung hero of this team.
Since de la Fuente took over as manager, Spain has won the UEFA Nations League, won the Euros, lost a Nations League Final on penalties to Portugal, and is now one victory away from adding a second star to its crest.
For the vast majority of this summer, all the talk has been about France being lightyears ahead of everyone else and the best team on the planet. On the contrary, Tuesday's semifinal in the Lone Star State was a timely reminder that it is in fact Spain who is the world's dominant force, seeking yet more silverware to prove it. England and Argentina be warned. Whomever prevails at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Wednesday will face a serious challenge.
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