Two of European football’s most storied nations, France and Spain, are set to clash once again as they meet in the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2026, a rematch of their Euro 2024 semi-final showdown.
The historic rivalry, which dates back to 1922, sees Spain holding a narrow overall advantage with 18 wins from 38 meetings, compared to France’s 13, while seven matches have ended in draws.
Recent history has favoured La Roja, who edged Les Bleus 2-1 in the Euro 2024 semi-final before producing an even more dramatic result in last year’s UEFA Nations League semi-final, a stunning 5-4 thriller.
Both nations arrive in Atlanta on the back of impressive quarter-final performances.
Spain overcame Belgium 2-1, continuing their momentum from recent tournaments, while France edged past Morocco 2-0 to book their place in the last four.
The clash also renews one of the tournament’s most anticipated individual duels, with Kylian Mbappé going head-to-head against Spain’s rising star Lamine Yamal.
Yamal has been directly involved in deciding two of the last three meetings between the sides.
Despite Spain’s dominance in recent knockout meetings, France retain one notable psychological edge, they have never lost to Spain at a World Cup.
The two nations have not met at the tournament since 2006, when France won 3-1 in the Round of 16.
The two European heavyweights will face off in the semi-finals at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, with a place in the World Cup final on the line.
