Spain is still alive!
La Roja handled France 2-0 in the World Cup semifinals on Tuesday, July 14, boosting themselves into the final match and ending Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé's run.
After Spain's eighth all-time win over Les Bleus in the World Cup, they will now play either England or Argentina in the final match on Sunday, July 19.
Mbappé still has a chance to capture the Golden Boot as France will face the loser of England vs. Argentina in the third place match on Saturday, July 18.
Here are the winners and losers of Tuesday's semifinal match:
Winners
Spain
Spain has been getting warmer and warmer as the World Cup has marched along. La Roja really came alive to shut down a high-powered, well-rounded France team and continues to show that they aren't a one-trick pony.
Pedro Porro
Pedro Porro got his second goal of the World Cup when he struck in the 58th minute. He previously scored in Spain's 3-0 victory over Austria. Unfortunately, his son wasn't in attendance due to what Porro said was a fever, so the win was bittersweet. Porro dedicated his goal to his son.
Dallas
Cowboy culture was on full display during this World Cup, which was co-hosted by the United States with Canada and Mexico. AT&T Stadium, aka Jerry World, hosted nine matches, including this semifinal, and everyone embraced all Dallas has to offer.
Zlatan wore a cowboy hat during the FOX broadcast of the battle between Spain and France and BigXthaPlug's "Texas" was heavily used as a bridge between commercial breaks. Earlier in the tournament, Erling Haaland's trip to a local Western wear store went viral.
In a similar way to how the F1 United States Grand Prix in nearby Austin has become a fan favorite race, it's clear that Dallas lassoed the hearts of many across the globe.
Losers
France
The journey stops here for France. Technically, they have the third-place match still to play. But anything less than winning the World Cup feels like a failure. This is the first match that Les Bleus failed to score a goal in more than a year (they lost to Croatia in the March 2025 Nations League quarterfinals, 2-0). France is young and well-rounded and shouldn't despair too much, but it's still a massive let-down.
Didier Deschamps
This loss was especially painful for Didier Deschamps. The venerated manager for France won the 1998 World Cup as a player and led the side when they took home the 2018 trophy. This semifinal match was his 26th World Cup fixture as a manager, breaking the record for most tournament games by one coach. The third place match will very likely be his last in the global tournament and must be a tough pill to swallow.
Kylian Mbappé
Kylian Mbappé seemed unstoppable in this World Cup and is the clear heir apparent to Lionel Messi. But the French forward met his kryptonite against Spain. Mbappé could not break free from the defense and was utterly neutralized.
Does this loss make Mbappé any less of a great? No. He already passed the existing record for most World Cup goals all-time. Messi is ahead of him for now, but since this is the Argentinian's last tournament, Mbappé will almost certainly pass him next tournament. The Real Madrid superstar won the 2018 World Cup and the Golden Boot for most goals in the 2022 competition, so his talent is already established.
But does this loss still sting? Yes.
Source: USA Today
