2026 FWC Day 34: France Suffer 1st World Cup Semifinal Defeat in 40 Years

France suffered their first FIFA World Cup semifinal defeat in four decades after falling 2-0 to Spain in the 2026 World Cup semifinals on Tuesday.

The loss at Dallas Stadium ended Les Bleus' remarkable run in the tournament's final four, marking their first semifinal defeat since losing to West Germany in the 1986 World Cup.

It also halted France's perfect semifinal record over the past 28 years. Since conceding to Croatia in the 1998 semifinals, the French national team had kept clean sheets in every World Cup semifinal appearance, including victories over Portugal (2006), Belgium (2018), and Morocco (2022).

Historically, France have now played eight World Cup semifinals, winning four and losing four. Their semifinal defeats came against Brazil (1958), West Germany (1982 and 1986), and now Spain (2026).

The defeat also ended France's unbeaten World Cup run that stretched back to the 2022 group-stage loss to Tunisia. 

Since then, Les Bleus had recorded nine victories and one draw, the latter coming against Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final, before Spain ended the streak.

France will now face the loser of the semifinal between England and Argentina in the third-place playoff, while Spain advanced to the World Cup final for only the second time in the nation's history.