France’s World Cup campaign will continue only in the third-place match after a 2-0 semi-final defeat by Spain at Dallas Stadium.
The result, recorded in FIFA’s tournament schedule for 14 July, sent Spain through to the final and ended France’s attempt to reach the deciding match of the 2026 competition. It was a decisive outcome in one of the tournament’s last four fixtures, with France unable to prevent Spain from taking the place in the final.
France’s defeat means they remain involved in the closing stages of the tournament, but with the title no longer within reach. Their next assignment is the bronze final, where they are due to face the loser of the other semi-final between England and Argentina.
For Spain, the win confirmed a place in the World Cup final after a clean-sheet victory in Dallas. For France, the 2-0 scoreline brought an end to a run that had carried them to the semi-finals but left them outside the final pairing.
The match also shaped the final weekend of the tournament, fixing one side of the final and one side of the third-place fixture. France now move from a failed bid for the trophy to a contest for third place, while Spain wait for the winner of England and Argentina.