World Cup 2026: France fail to match Brazil, Germany records after Spain defeat
France Falls Short in Semifinal Against Spain, Misses Chance to Match World Cup Record
DALLAS — France’s hopes of matching Brazil and Germany’s record of reaching three consecutive FIFA World Cup finals ended Tuesday with a loss to Spain in the semifinals.
Spain secured a 2-0 victory, with Mikel Oyarzabal scoring in the first half and Pedro Porro adding a second-half goal at Dallas Stadium.
The defeat means that only Germany and Brazil remain as the only nations to have reached the World Cup finals three times in a row. Germany achieved this feat between 1982 and 1990, while Brazil did so from 1994 to 2002.
France had previously reached the World Cup final in 2018, where they triumphed over Croatia 4-2 in Russia. They also appeared in the 2022 final in Qatar but lost to Argentina in a penalty shoot-out.
With the semifinal loss to Spain, France’s quest to join the elite company of Brazil and Germany in consecutive World Cup final appearances has come to an end.
