De la Fuente’s impressive semi-final history against France ahead of World Cup showdown
By Joel Masibo, July 12, 2026Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has developed a remarkable record against France in knockout semi-finals since joining the Spanish national team setup in 2013. As Spain prepares to face France in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final in Dallas on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, the veteran coach will be taking on Les Bleus in a semi-final for the sixth time across different age categories and the senior national team.
Throughout those previous five meetings, De la Fuente has guided Spain to four victories while suffering just one defeat. Interestingly, that lone setback came in his first encounter with France, with Spain emerging victorious in every semi-final clash since then.
UEFA European Under-19 Championship 2013: Spain 1-2 France
De la Fuente’s first major tournament as Spain’s Under-19 coach came shortly after he accepted the role in May 2013. His initial assignment was to lead the team at the UEFA European Under-19 Championship in Lithuania.
Spain reached the last four, where they met a talented French side featuring players such as Adrien Rabiot, Aymeric Laporte, Anthony Martial and Yassine Benzia. After an evenly contested match, Antoine Conte struck in extra time to give France a 2-1 victory in the 105th minute. France later finished runners-up after losing the final to Serbia.
UEFA European Under-19 Championship 2015: France 0-2 Spain
Two years later, Spain gained revenge in the same competition during the tournament in Greece.
De la Fuente’s side booked a place in the final thanks to a brilliant display from Marco Asensio, who scored both goals after the break. The Spanish squad also included future senior internationals Rodri, Mikel Merino and Unai Simon.
Spain went on to lift the European Under-19 title, marking De la Fuente’s first triumph over France in a semi-final.
UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2019: Spain 4-1 France
The rivals crossed paths again in the Under-21 European Championship four years later.
France made the brighter start through Jean-Philippe Mateta, but Spain responded strongly before halftime as Marc Roca and Mikel Oyarzabal turned the game around. Dani Olmo extended Spain’s advantage after the restart before Borja Mayoral completed an emphatic 4-1 victory.
Several players from that encounter remain key figures for their countries today. Fabian Ruiz featured for Spain, while Dayot Upamecano and Ibrahima Konate anchored France’s defence.
Spain later defeated Germany in the final to win the tournament, with Olmo and Fabian Ruiz scoring the decisive goals.
UEFA EURO 2024: Spain 2-1 France
After taking charge of Spain’s senior national team in late 2022, De la Fuente met France again in the semi-finals of UEFA EURO 2024.
France struck first through Randal Kolo Muani, but Spain produced another comeback. Lamine Yamal scored a spectacular equaliser before Dani Olmo completed the turnaround.
The victory sent Spain into the final, where they defeated England to become European champions.
UEFA Nations League 2025: Spain 5-4 France
The most dramatic meeting between the two nations came in the UEFA Nations League semi-final in Stuttgart.
Spain raced into a commanding 4-0 lead through Nico Williams, Mikel Merino, Lamine Yamal and Pedri. Kylian Mbappe reduced the deficit from the penalty spot before Yamal grabbed his second goal to make it 5-1.
France launched a remarkable late comeback with strikes from Rayan Cherki and Randal Kolo Muani, while Dani Vivian also scored an own goal, but Spain held on to secure an unforgettable 5-4 victory.
Although Spain eventually lost the Nations League final to Portugal on penalties, De la Fuente extended his winning run against France in semi-finals.
FIFA World Cup 2026: France vs Spain
Spain and France will renew their rivalry once again on July 14, 2026, with De la Fuente seeking a fifth semi-final victory over Les Bleus.
Ahead of the blockbuster encounter, Spain star Lamine Yamal summed up the stakes, saying: “There are two possibilities: either they reach three World Cup finals in a row, or we beat them three times in a row.”
With a place in the World Cup final at stake and both European giants in outstanding form, another memorable chapter is set to be written in this growing rivalry.