MUNDIAL·26

Semi-final · Tuesday, July 14 · Dallas Stadium, Dallas · 70,176 in the stands

kickoff 14:00 local · 30°C · 65% humidity · roofed stadium

France

0:2

Spain

22′ Mikel OYARZABAL

58′ Pedro PORRO (pen)

tap a player for their match file

France4-2-3-1
Spain4-2-3-1
Mike MAIGNAN5.1Lucas DIGNE5.2Dayot UPAMECANO6.0Jules KOUNDE6.1William SALIBA6.1Aurelien TCHOUAMENI6.9Adrien RABIOT6.6Ousmane DEMBELE7.2Kylian MBAPPE5.8Michael OLISE6.9Bradley BARCOLA6.7Unai SIMON7.4Pedro PORRO8.1Aymeric LAPORTE7.2Pau CUBARSI6.9Marc CUCURELLA6.6Fabian RUIZ6.8Alex BAENA6.5RODRI6.4Dani OLMO7.5Lamine YAMAL6.5Mikel OYARZABAL7.4
from the bench

match pulse — xG per 5 minutes · goals · cards

45′90′FRAESP

goals — hover the strip for every shot and card, with names

  • 22′Oyarzabal0.79 xG
  • 58′Porro0.52 xG
FRA 0:0 ESP0'kickoff
6' Rabiot — xG 0.01 · Missed11' Baena — xG 0.05 · Blocked22' Oyarzabal — xG 0.79 · Goal34' Olmo — xG 0.01 · Missed36' Barcola — xG 0.03 · Missed37' Porro — xG 0.01 · Missed38' Ruiz — xG 0.12 · Blocked52' Oyarzabal — xG 0.02 · Missed58' Baena — xG 0.02 · Blocked58' Porro — xG 0.52 · Goal65' Tchouaméni — xG 0.06 · Missed67' Mbappe — xG 0.03 · Blocked68' Doué — xG 0.03 · Blocked78' Torres — xG 0.06 · Missed81' Doué — xG 0.02 · Saved89' Mbappe — xG 0.04 · Missed90 + 4' Williams — xG 0.03 · Missed90 + 5' Dembélé — xG 0.03 · Saved90 + 7' Dembélé — xG 0.03 · Saved90 + 7' Mbappe — xG 0.02 · Missed

▶ Watch every shot in 3D⟲ Replay the match

The xG race — cumulative expected goals, minute by minute

FRA 0:0 ESP
1.00′15′30′45′60′75′90′22' Oyarzabal — GOAL58' Porro — GOAL0.301.63

On paper vs as played — formation sheet vs heatmap reality

FRA 4-2-3-1 attack →, ← ESP 4-2-3-1 attack. The teamsheet, as announced.

16Mike MAIGNANMike MAIGNAN3Lucas DIGNELucas DIGNE4Dayot UPAMECANODayot UPAMECANO5Jules KOUNDEJules KOUNDE17William SALIBAWilliam SALIBA8Aurelien TCHOUAMENIAurelien TCHOUAMENI14Adrien RABIOTAdrien RABIOT7Ousmane DEMBELEOusmane DEMBELE10Kylian MBAPPEKylian MBAPPE11Michael OLISEMichael OLISE12Bradley BARCOLABradley BARCOLA23Unai SIMONUnai SIMON12Pedro PORROPedro PORRO14Aymeric LAPORTEAymeric LAPORTE22Pau CUBARSIPau CUBARSI24Marc CUCURELLAMarc CUCURELLA8Fabian RUIZFabian RUIZ15Alex BAENAAlex BAENA16RODRIRODRI10Dani OLMODani OLMO19Lamine YAMALLamine YAMAL21Mikel OYARZABALMikel OYARZABAL

The duel — team data, FIFA tracking included

47%
Possession
46%
0.48
Expected goals
2.21
54
Threat
46
10
Shots
10
3
On target
2
417
Passes completed
439
51
Forced turnovers
54
14.0s
Ball recovery time
11.2s
8.88
High-press phases
7.73
12
Fouls committed
11
4
Offsides
5
114 km
Distance covered
115 km
35.3 km/h
Top speed
32.9 km/h

Territory — where each team lived

Every player's heatmap, minutes-weighted and stacked per team. France attack →, ← Spain attack. Brighter is more presence; where the colors meet is the contested ground.

How it happened

  1. 8′Adrien RABIOT (France) is booked by the referee.
  2. 22′Penalty Awarded
  3. 22′Mikel OYARZABAL (Spain) successfully converts the penalty!
  4. 30′Maxence LACROIX (in) comes off the bench to replace William SALIBA (out) (France)
  5. 31′Marc CUCURELLA (Spain) is booked by the referee.
  6. ′Before the second half begins Manu KONE (in) comes off the bench to replace Adrien RABIOT (out) (France)
  7. 57′Desire DOUE (in) comes off the bench to replace Bradley BARCOLA (out) (France)
  8. 58′Pedro PORRO (Spain) scores!!
  9. 72′Rayan CHERKI (in) comes off the bench to replace Michael OLISE (out) (France)
  10. 72′Theo HERNANDEZ (in) comes off the bench to replace Lucas DIGNE (out) (France)
  11. 74′Ferran TORRES (in) comes off the bench to replace Mikel OYARZABAL (out) (Spain)
  12. 77′PEDRI (in) comes off the bench to replace Fabian RUIZ (out) (Spain)
  13. 77′Mikel MERINO (in) comes off the bench to replace Dani OLMO (out) (Spain)
  14. 83′Nico WILLIAMS (in) comes off the bench to replace Alex BAENA (out) (Spain)
  15. 83′Marcos LLORENTE (in) comes off the bench to replace Pedro PORRO (out) (Spain)
  16. 86′Kylian MBAPPE (France) is booked by the referee.

The morning-after column · AI-written from the match data

Spain Doubles Down as France's Possession Turns to Dust in Dallas

France pressed high and held the ball for long stretches, but Spain was playing a different match. With 47 per cent possession and eight high-press phases, the hosts looked threatening in patches; yet their eight attempts from deep areas came to nothing, and their xG of 0.48 betrayed a tournament team without a system. Spain, meanwhile, recovered the ball in 11.2 seconds on average—three seconds quicker than their exhausted opponents—and turned that tempo into purpose. When the first goal arrived at 22 minutes with xG of 0.79, the shape of the semi-final was decided.

The numbers exposed the gulf. Spain's xG of 2.21 reflected a team clinical in the moments that mattered; their second goal, from an xG of 0.52, confirmed what Tchouaméni's 6.9 rating suggested: France's midfield was fractured. Dembélé worked tirelessly (7.2), but recovery time, not effort, was the currency that mattered. Pedro Porro's masterclass at 8.1 rating—moving the ball five yards quicker than Olise, his counterpart—meant Spain controlled the transitions. By the 58th minute, Spain had already beaten France's press often enough; the second goal was merely confirmation of what the first half had proved.

Spain's ball recovery time of 11.2 seconds versus France's 14.0 was worth two goals: the difference between controlling transitions and drowning in them.

22′

Spain's opening goal shattered France's press shape; Dallas fell quiet and never recovered.

What France needed

Possession meant nothing against a team quicker in recovery and cleaner in transition.

  • xG of 0.48 across 10 shots screams lack of pattern—Dembélé's 7.2 rating shows the work wasn't there
  • 14.0-second ball recovery left midfield exposed; Spain's 11.2-second tempo made every transition dangerous
  • Eight high-press phases (8.9) failed to disrupt Porro; pressing without a plan cost recovery time

What Spain needed

Two clinical finishes from a superior recovery rate and tempo made the difference in Dallas.

  • xG of 2.21, two goals from 0.79 and 0.52 chances: the strikers did exactly what was set up
  • 11.2-second recovery time gave Olmo (7.5) and Porro (8.1) three extra seconds per transition—pivotal
  • Unai Simón (7.4) rarely tested; France's wider attacks broke down before reaching the box