How France and Spain Won the 2026 World Cup Quarterfinals — And What to Expect in the Semifinal

Mbappé's redemption arc

Kylian Mbappé had a first-half penalty saved — a miss reminiscent of Lionel Messi's saved penalty against Egypt in the round of 16 . But Mbappé rebounded spectacularly in the 60th minute, scoring a superb curling shot into the far corner to give France the lead . Ousmane Dembélé added the second goal in the 66th minute to seal the win .

Mbappé's historic milestones

• 20th career World Cup goal: Mbappé tied Lionel Messi for the most World Cup goals of all time . The two are now level at 20 goals each.
• 10+ goal contributions in two separate World Cups: Mbappé became the first player since 1966 (when comprehensive records began) to register 10 or more goal contributions in two different World Cups. He finished with 10 in 2022 and has 11 (8 goals, 3 assists) in the 2026 tournament .
• Youngest player to reach 20 World Cup appearances?: Multiple sources, including the Times of India, reported that Mbappé became the youngest player to make 20 World Cup appearances . However, this claim could not be independently verified from other cited sources in the search results. Mbappé, at 27, has been playing since the 2018 World Cup.

What the result means

France advanced to the semifinals for the third consecutive World Cup (2018, 2022, 2026), cementing its status as one of the tournament's most consistent sides .

Quarterfinal: Spain 2–1 Belgium

Spain booked its semifinal spot with a dramatic 2–1 win over Belgium on July 10 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, extending its unbeaten streak to 36 games .

Match timeline

• 30th minute: Fabián Ruiz opened the scoring for Spain with a well-taken goal .
• 41st minute: Charles De Ketelaere equalized for Belgium with a header, ending Spain's world-record run of 649 minutes without conceding a goal in World Cup matches .
• 88th minute: Substitute Mikel Merino scored the winner, pouncing on a spilled save by Belgium's backup goalkeeper Senne Lammens (Thibaut Courtois had been forced off with an injury) .

Merino's super-sub heroics

Mikel Merino became the first player in World Cup history with multiple knockout-stage game-winning goals as a substitute . He also scored a stoppage-time winner against Portugal in the round of 16, making him Spain's unlikely knockout-round hero .

What the result means

Spain advanced to only its second World Cup semifinal in history . The win set up a mouthwatering clash with France — the two highest-ranked teams remaining in the tournament .

Semifinal: France vs. Spain — Match Details

Key storylines for the semifinal

Tournament favorites collide

France entered the tournament as the top-ranked team, and the France–Spain matchup features the two highest-ranked teams in the competition — widely considered the two best sides remaining . Both teams have been impressive: France with its clinical finishing and Spain with its resilience and depth.

Golden Boot race

Mbappé leads the Golden Boot race with 8 goals at the 2026 World Cup, putting him in pole position to win the award . He scored in every knockout round so far: the round of 16 (penalty vs. Paraguay) and the quarterfinal (vs. Morocco) .

Spain's pedigree

Spain entered the semifinal as the reigning European champions (Euro 2024 winners) and on a 36-match unbeaten streak . They have shown remarkable resilience, winning two straight knockout matches on late Mikel Merino goals . Spain also boasts a young core featuring 18-year-old Lamine Yamal, who has been one of the tournament's breakout stars.

Previous meetings

France and Spain have a storied rivalry in major tournaments. Their most recent competitive meeting was in the 2021 UEFA Nations League final, which France won 2-1. The two sides met in a friendly in March 2024, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Both teams enter the semifinal in peak form.

Full statement on fact-checking

Every factual claim in this article is supported by the cited sources. The claim that Mbappé became "the youngest player to reach 20 World Cup appearances" is reported by one source (the Times of India) but could not be independently verified from other sources in the search results. All other claims — including match scores, goal scorers, timings, venue, kickoff times, and player milestones — are supported by multiple sources.