France vs Spain - Top five encounters between the two European giants ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026

Spain have won 18 of their 38 matches against France.

France and Spain are European footballing giants with a rich, storied rivalry. The two FIFA World Cup winners first faced each other in 1922 as Spain secured a 4-0 win against their opponents in a friendly encounter.

La Roja dominated the early years of this rivalry, with France picking up just four wins in 19 games against Spain until 1983. Les Blues turned the tables on their European rival between 1983 and 2006 as they won seven of their nine games.

Since 2010, Spain have won their maiden World Cup title and beaten France en route to winning their crown. Since then, the power dynamic has favoured La Roja once again, but France have picked up the odd victories.

Here are the top five France vs Spain matches that have taken place in the history of the beautiful game:

France 2-0 Spain – European Championship 1984 Final

France faced Spain in the final of the 1984 Euros at the Parc des Princes Stadium. Though they were playing the tournament hosts, La Roja were the favourites as they boasted a positive head-to-head record against the Frenchmen.

Though France dominated, the first half ended goalless. Michel Platini and Bruno Bellone would eventually score in the second half to give their nation the win and help them win their first European championship.

France 3-1 Spain – FIFA World Cup 2006 Round of 16 match

Zinedine Zidane’s France were scheduled for a tough encounter in the round-of-16 stage with a young and improving Spain side. David Villa opened the scoring in the first half through a penalty to send early jitters into the French camp.

However, Le Blues kept their cool as Franck Ribery, Patrick Vieira, and their captain, Zidane, helped the French dream team turn the match around and eventually secure a 3-1 win over Spain.

Spain 2-0 France – UEFA Euro 2012 Quarterfinals

En route to winning back-to-back European titles, the Spain national football team faced France in the Quarterfinals at the Donbass Arena. Boasting a superior squad, La Roja dominated the possession and created more chances on the night.

Xabi Alonso eventually broke the deadlock with a header in the 19th minute before completing his brace in the 90th minute through a penalty to help Spain win 2-0 on the night.

France 2-1 Spain – UEFA Nations League 2021 Final

Having lost just once to France since 2008, Spain marched into the UEFA Nations League 2021 Final with a psychological edge over the French national football team. Spain, lacking major star power, took the lead through Mikel Oyarzbal in the 64th minute.

However, France reacted strongly as goals from Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe turned the game around, helping Le Blues secure a 2-1 win against Spain and win their maiden UEFA Nations League title.

Spain 2-1 France – UEFA Euro 2024 semi-final

A young Lamine Yamal burst onto the scene in the 2024 European championship and the clash between Spain vs France was dubbed as a matchup of Yamal vs Mbappe.

Kolo Muani scored in the 9th minute through an Mbappe assist before Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo turned the game on its head before half time. Spain resisted the French attack in the second half, registering a 2-1 win and would also go on to win their fourth European title.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.