Spain Leads France 1-0 at Half-Time in World Cup Semifinal After Oyarzabal's Penalty
Spain took a 1-0 lead over France at half-time in the FIFA World Cup semifinal at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on July 14, 2026. The goal came from an early penalty converted by Mikel Oyarzabal.
France entered the match aiming to reach a third consecutive World Cup final, a feat that would extend one of the most dominant eras in the tournament's history. Coach Didier Deschamps recalled Bradley Barcola to the attack and Aurelien Tchouameni to midfield, looking to spark a response after Spain's recent successes against them.
Spain, who have had a see-saw progression in the tournament, eliminated France in the semifinals of Euro 2024 and also defeated them in a dramatic nine-goal Nations League thriller last year. Coach Luis de la Fuente fielded an unchanged side from the quarterfinal victory.
The match has been closely contested, with both sides creating chances. Spain's early penalty proved decisive in the first half. France have pushed for an equaliser, testing the Spanish defence, but go into the break trailing.
The winner of this semifinal will advance to the final on Sunday, July 19, to face either England or Argentina, who play the other semifinal. This match is the latest chapter in an intense rivalry between two of Europe's top footballing nations, with each encounter producing high drama.
[Commentary by Srinivasan Ramani and Vighnesh P. Venkitesh. Inputs by Reuben Joe Joseph]
