Four days after dismantling Morocco 2-0 in the quarter-finals, France return to the biggest stage with something to prove beyond just momentum. This time they face Spain, a side that has beaten them in four of their last five meetings, including a 5-4 thriller in the 2025 UEFA Nations League and a 2-1 verdict at Euro 2024. A World Cup semi-final on July 14 gives Didier Deschamps a chance to rewrite a recent head-to-head story that has tilted heavily toward La Roja.
A rivalry rooted in history
France and Spain are not separated by the kind of city geography that defines a derby, but their rivalry carries weight that most derbies cannot match. Both nations have shaped the modern game: France produced two World Cup-winning squads in 1998 and 2018, while Spain’s run of three consecutive major tournament wins between 2008 and 2012 redefined how international football was played. When they meet now, it is rarely just a football match.
Their recent encounters have taken on a competitive intensity that pure friendlies never generate. The 2021 UEFA Nations League final ended 2-1 to France. Spain responded at Euro 2024, winning 2-1 in the semi-finals to end France’s hopes of reaching the Berlin final. Then came the 2025 Nations League meeting, a 5-4 Spain win that remains the most vivid illustration of where this rivalry currently sits: Spain ahead, France chasing.
Head-to-head: the numbers
Across the five most recent meetings, Spain hold four wins to France’s one. That single French win came in the 2021 Nations League final, a result that now looks like an anomaly against the broader trend. There have been no draws in any of these five matches, which tells you something about the nature of the fixture: one side tends to assert itself, and lately it has been Spain.
The 5-4 scoreline from June 2025 is the one that lingers. It was not a chaotic game decided by defensive errors alone; Spain controlled large portions of it and scored five times against a France squad that includes some of the best defensive talent in Europe. Fernando Hierro’s side arrive here having won all five of their World Cup matches, including a 3-0 defeat of Austria and a narrow but composed 1-0 win over Portugal in the quarter-finals.
What makes this edition different
Both teams arrive in perfect form. France have won all five of their World Cup matches, scoring 13 goals across the group stage and knockout rounds. Kylian Mbappé leads France’s attack with eight goals in the tournament, level with Lionel Messi for the golden boot. Ousmane Dembele has contributed five more, giving Deschamps two of the three most prolific attackers at the competition on the same sheet. The question is whether that firepower can finally crack a Spain side that has conceded only once in their last four matches.
Spain under Fernando Hierro have leaned on a midfield unit of Rodri, Pedri, and Fabian Ruiz to control tempo and protect their backline. Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams on the flanks provide the pace to punish transitions, and Dani Olmo offers the creative unpredictability that makes Spain difficult to press high. For France, the familiar tension between defensive solidity and attacking freedom will define their approach. Deschamps has won five straight, but the head-to-head record suggests Spain know how to handle his side better than most.
Key Stats
World Cup knockout bracket
Knockout results, aggregate scores across legs; winners in bold, penalty shootouts noted.
Head to Head
Our Prediction
The head-to-head record makes Spain narrow favorites on paper, and their ability to impose a passing rhythm tends to unsettle a France side that prefers to defend and transition. That said, Mbappé at eight goals and Dembele at five represent an attacking volume Spain have not faced in this tournament. A close match seems near certain; Spain’s pattern of winning tight games gives them a slight edge, but France’s firepower means a single moment can shift everything.