By Obaloluwa Joshua, LAGOS
Spain and France will reignite one of international football’s fiercest rivalries when they face off in the semifinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday.
Both European giants have impressed en route to the last four, setting up what promises to be a thrilling encounter with a place in the final at stake.
France have been one of the tournament’s standout teams. Les Bleus won all three of their group-stage matches to finish with a perfect nine points before eliminating Sweden in the Round of 32, Paraguay in the Round of 16 and Morocco in the quarterfinals.
Spain, meanwhile, recovered from a surprising goalless draw against tournament debutants Cape Verde in their opening game. La Roja responded in style with convincing victories over Saudi Arabia (4-0) and Uruguay (1-0) to seal progression before knocking out Austria, Portugal and Belgium in the knockout rounds.
Recent history favours Spain, who have won seven of their last 10 meetings with France. Their two most recent victories were particularly significant—a 2-1 triumph in the UEFA Euro 2024 semifinals on their way to lifting the title, followed by a dramatic 5-4 win in last year’s UEFA Nations League finals.
Despite that impressive record, Spain are still chasing a historic first. They have never defeated France at a FIFA senior men’s World Cup and will be hoping to change that on Tuesday.
The only previous World Cup meeting between the two nations came in the Round of 16 at Germany 2006, where France secured a memorable 3-1 victory.
David Villa handed Spain an early lead from the penalty spot, but Franck Ribéry equalised just before half-time. Patrick Vieira then put France ahead with less than 10 minutes remaining before captain Zinedine Zidane sealed the victory late on, sending Les Bleus through to the quarterfinals.
With both sides in impressive form and boasting world-class talent, another captivating chapter is expected to be written in one of international football’s greatest rivalries as they battle for a place in the 2026 World Cup final.
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