Football fans are set for another blockbuster as France and Spain face each other in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final on Tuesday.
France are chasing a place in their third consecutive World Cup final, while Spain are aiming to add the FIFA World Cup trophy to the UEFA Euro 2024 title they won two years ago.
Before the latest chapter of this famous rivalry begins, here is a look at five unforgettable meetings between the two European giants.
Euro 1984 Final: France 2-0 Spain
The first major tournament meeting between France and Spain came in the UEFA Euro 1984 final at the Parc des Princes in Paris.
Led by the brilliant Michel Platini, France claimed their first major international trophy.
The defining moment arrived just before the hour mark when Platini’s free-kick slipped through the hands of Spanish goalkeeper Luis Arconada, handing France the lead.
It was Platini’s ninth goal of the tournament, highlighting one of the greatest individual performances in European Championship history.
Although France finished the match with ten men after Yvon Le Roux received a red card, Bruno Bellone added a late goal to seal a 2-0 victory.
Spain had to wait another 24 years before finally winning their first European Championship in 2008.
2006 FIFA World Cup: France 3-1 Spain
The only previous World Cup meeting between the two nations before the 2026 edition came in the Round of 16 in Germany.
Spain entered the knockout stage with three straight victories in the group stage, while France had struggled to qualify after finishing second in their group.
Spain struck first through a David Villa penalty.
However, France staged an impressive comeback.
Franck Ribery equalised before halftime, Patrick Vieira put France ahead late in the second half, and Zinedine Zidane wrapped up the victory with a memorable goal in stoppage time.
France eventually reached the final before losing to Italy on penalties, while Spain used the disappointment as motivation before dominating world football between 2008 and 2012.
2021 UEFA Nations League Final: France 2-1 Spain
France and Spain met again in the UEFA Nations League final in Milan.
Spain took the lead through Mikel Oyarzabal, but France responded quickly.
Karim Benzema scored a superb equaliser after an assist from Kylian Mbappe.
Soon after, Mbappe scored the winning goal to give France a 2-1 victory and another international trophy under coach Didier Deschamps.
The match also marked Benzema’s successful return to the French national team after several years away.
Euro 2024 Semi-Final: Spain 2-1 France
One of the most memorable meetings between the teams came in the UEFA Euro 2024 semi-final.
France scored first through Randal Kolo Muani, who netted the team’s first open-play goal of the tournament.
Spain responded with one of the goals of the competition.
Just days before turning 17, Lamine Yamal curled a stunning long-range strike into the net to equalise.
Moments later, Dani Olmo scored the winner to send Spain into the final.
Spain later defeated England to lift the European Championship trophy.
2025 UEFA Nations League Semi-Final: Spain 5-4 France
The latest meeting between the two sides produced one of the most entertaining international matches in recent years.
Spain raced into a 4-0 lead thanks to goals from Nico Williams, Mikel Merino, Lamine Yamal and Pedri.
France refused to give up.
Kylian Mbappe scored from the penalty spot before Yamal added Spain’s fifth goal.
France then launched a late comeback through Rayan Cherki, an own goal by Dani Vivian, and Randal Kolo Muani, but Spain held on to win an incredible 5-4 thriller.
Although Spain later lost the Nations League final to Portugal on penalties, the semi-final remains one of the highest-scoring matches between the two nations.
Another Classic Awaits
France and Spain have consistently produced memorable encounters over the past four decades.
Both teams enter the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final in excellent form, with world-class players such as Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Ousmane Dembele, Rodri and Aurélien Tchouaméni expected to play key roles.
With a place in the World Cup final at stake, football fans can expect another thrilling chapter in one of Europe’s greatest international rivalries.