France's national football team lost 2-1 to Spain in the semifinal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on July 14, 2026. The match, held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, saw Spain take an early lead through a goal by Lamine Yamal in the 8th minute. France equalized with a goal from Kylian Mbappé in the 22nd minute, but Spain's Dani Olmo scored the winner in the 67th minute.
French coach Didier Deschamps made several tactical changes during the match, including substituting Eduardo Camavinga for Adrien Rabiot at halftime and bringing on Randal Kolo Muani for Marcus Thuram in the 60th minute. However, these changes failed to turn the tide. Midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni was criticized by some pundits for his performance, with former French international Emmanuel Petit saying on TF1: 'Il a fait n'importe quoi du début à la fin' (He did nonsense from start to finish).
France will now face the loser of the other semifinal between Argentina and Portugal for third place on July 18, 2026, at MetLife Stadium. Spain advances to the final on July 19, 2026, at the same venue.
