Two European powers, Spain and France, will meet in the World Cup semifinal. For Spain – who reached the last four by beating Belgium 2-1 – recent head-to-head history offers encouragement, because La Roja have won both of the last two meetings.
The sides last met in the semifinal of the 2025 UEFA Nations League, a breathless match Luis de la Fuente’s team won 5-4. Before that, Spain beat France in the Euro 2024 semifinal on their way to the final, and went on to win the title.
Spain also hold a slight overall edge. Across friendlies and competitive matches, they have won 18 of 38 meetings to France’s 13, with seven draws. Counting only official competitions, though, the picture flips: France have won six of 10, Spain four.
The teams have met only once at a World Cup: at the 2006 finals in Germany, France beat Spain 3-1 in the round of 16 under Zinedine Zidane, and Les Bleus went on to reach the final.
Spain now stand before a new chapter. After winning the World Cup for the first time in 2010, they are in the semifinals for only the second time – and that happy memory is again driving the Spanish camp. France, meanwhile, are desperate to shake off two straight big-stage defeats to Spain. The semifinal, then, is about more than a place in the final; it is also a chance to settle a recent score.
The much-anticipated semifinal kicks off at 1 a.m. Wednesday Bangladesh time on July 15.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report