Spain floor France again in semi-finals, World Cup exit follows Euro and Nations League | OneFootball

France have crashed out in the semi-finals for the third tournament running, beaten 2-0 by Spain in Dallas at the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday. L'Équipe notes that it is also the third straight last four defeat to the same opponents.

The sequence began at Euro 2024, a 1-2 loss to Spain in the semi-finals. It continued with a 4-5 defeat in Stuttgart in the 2025 Nations League, after a wild game.

Before this run against Spain, France had won nine consecutive semi-finals since their Euro 1996 shootout defeat to the Czech Republic, 0-0 then 5-6 on penalties.

That streak featured victories over Croatia in 1998, Portugal in 2000, Brazil in 2001 and Türkiye in 2003. It carried on against Portugal in 2006, Germany in 2016, Belgium in 2018 and 2021, and Morocco in 2022.

Spain have become the stumbling block France could not shift at the penultimate hurdle. For now, La Roja are their nemesis in the last four.

Source: L'Équipe