Picture : Spain have qualified for the World Cup final for the second time, following 2010.
World Cup 2026 Statistics – Day 34 (July 14) – Semi-final
France vs Spain 0-2
*Spain are the first reigning European champion to reach the World Cup final since Spain themselves in 2010.
*Spain have become the first European nation in history to win eight consecutive knockout-stage matches across major tournaments (Euro, World Cup).
They surpassed Italy’s run of seven wins in a row from 1934-1938, and their own run from 2008-2012.
*Spain have advanced in seven of its last eight major tournament semi-finals (World Cup, Euro).
Their only semi-final elimination came at Euro 2020 against Italy on penalties.
*Spain have won a World Cup knockout match (Round of 16 onwards) by a margin of at least two goals for the first time since 2 July 1994, against Switzerland (3-0).
*Spain are the first team to keep a clean sheet in six World Cup matches.
*Spain have now gone 37 games without defeat in all competitions (28 wins, 9 draws) equalling the longest ever unbeaten streak by a European nation in history (Italy also 37 matches between October 2018 and September 2021).
*France have lost a competitive match for the first time since 5 June 2025, against Spain in the Nations League (4-5).
*France suffered their heaviest defeat in a major tournament under Didier Deschamps.
*France have lost by a two-goal margin in a major tournament for the first time since 23 June 2012, against Spain at Euro 2012 (0-2).
*France has lost a World Cup knockout stage match for the first time since 4 July 2014, against Germany (0-1).
*France suffered their heaviest World Cup knockout-stage defeat since 25 June 1986, against Germany (0-2).
*France have lost their last three semi-final matches in official competitions, all vs Spain (also 1-2 at Euro 2024, 4-5 in the 2025 Nations League) after winning their previous nine encounters at this stage.
*France failed to score in a match for the first time since 20 March 2025, against Croatia.
*Luis de la Fuente became the first coach in history to remain unbeaten in his first 14 major tournament matches (13 wins, 1 draw) in charge of a European national team (Euro, World Cup).
*Mikel Oyarzabal is the first player to score 14 goals in a single season for Spain (surpassing David Villa’s 13 in 2008-09).
*Oyarzabal has scored five goals at the 2026 World Cup, equalling the record for a Spanish player in a single tournament, previously set by Emilio Butragueño (1986) and David Villa (2010).
*Pedro Porro became the 2nd Spanish defender to score two goals in a single World Cup tournament, after Fernando Hierro in 2002.
*Pedro Porro is one of 3 defenders to have scored 2 goals at the 2026 World Cup, along with:
Ramin Rezaeian (Iran)
Daniel Muñoz (Colombia)
*Fabián Ruiz has never lost in his 49 appearances for Spain (34 wins, 15 draws).
*The five European players with the most appearances at the World Cup and Euro combined without ever suffering defeat all play for Spain:
22 – Aymeric Laporte
20 – Mikel Oyarzabal
16 – Fabián Ruiz
14 – Mikel Merino
14 – Lamine Yamal
*Lamine Yamal became the third-youngest player (19 years and 1 day old) to play in a World Cup semi-final, behind:
Pelé in 1958 (17 years and 8 months),
Giuseppe Bergomi in 1982 (18 years and 6 months).
*Yamal won all his 12 matches as a starter at major tournaments (Euro, World Cup). It is the best 100%-win rate of any European player across the two competitions when starting.
*France is the nation that has conceded the most penalties (16) in World Cup history.
*Spain are the team with the most penalty goals (17) in the history of the World Cup.
*The penalty record in Spain vs France rivalry (39 matches in total) is insane: 17 in favor of Spain and only 1 in favor of France.
The only penalty awarded to France came in the 38th match of this rivalry (scored by Mbappé in the 2025 Nations League semi-final).
*Didier Deschamps took charge of his 26th World Cup match, setting a record for coaches in the competition, surpassing Helmut Schön (25).
*Kylian Mbappé became the most-capped French player in World Cup history (21 appearances), surpassing Hugo Lloris (20).
*Mbappé has played his third World Cup semi-final, repeating the feat of 4 German players (Uwe Seeler, Per Mertesacker, Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger).
Miroslav Klose remains the only player with 4 semi-finals.