July 14, FIFA World Cup semi-final, France 0-2 Spain. The Athletic analyzed the reasons for Spain's victory, believing the team had made thorough preparations in advance.

Below is TA's analysis.

At the end of the match, Mbappe, the hottest player in this FIFA World Cup, could only wrinkle his nose in frustration.

Previously, he received a yellow card for a sliding tackle on Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simón, and then kicked a free kick directly into the stands.

This FIFA World Cup semi-final did not have a moment for Mbappe, who plays for Real Madrid and is the second-highest scorer in FIFA World Cup history.

Also missing was Paris Saint-Germain winger and current Ballon d'Or winner Dembele. And Bayern Munich's Olise, the playmaker who could almost "do as he pleased" to create goals last season, completely lost his influence.

When France played their last trump cards, bringing on Doué of Paris Saint-Germain and Cherki of Manchester City, they still couldn't change the game.

After the match, this defeat will inevitably lead to questions for France coach Deschamps and this star-studded French team. Before the game, many considered them the favorites to win the championship. Cherki even stated in an interview: "We lost to ourselves."

However, the result of this match was by no means accidental.

Spain did not win by defending staunchly and holding on.

Goalkeeper Unai Simón also didn't make any miraculous saves.

They didn't retreat to their own half and park the bus to wear down France.

On the contrary, they had more possession, completed more passes, and had a similar number of shots to France.

Any rational post-match analysis of the French team must admit that the other team on the field, Spain, delivered one of the best team performances in FIFA World Cup history.

Most observers believed France was the best performing team in the group stage and the first few knockout rounds of this FIFA World Cup.

However, within the Spanish team, they consistently maintained a firm and calm confidence.

Spain's top rising star, Yamal, just celebrated his 19th birthday on Monday, and throughout the past week, he consistently insisted that France, not Spain, should be concerned.

On Monday morning, Yamal attended team training; in the afternoon, he participated in a press conference and commercial event; in the evening, he even took time to give his three-year-old brother, Kane, a haircut.

Yamal said: "There are many things in life more difficult than a football match. Ultimately, it's just a game. I know what I can do, so I'm not worried about anything."

Spain's confidence was not unfounded.

This team won the UEFA Nations League in 2023, reached the UEFA Nations League final again in 2025, and between the two Nations Leagues, they also won the European Championship.

During this glorious period, they defeated Italy twice, and also beat England, Germany, Norway, Portugal, and Belgium.

Furthermore, they have already defeated France three times.

Now, they have gone 37 consecutive games unbeaten, which is one of the longest unbeaten streaks in men's national team history – although Opta's statistics do not count the penalty shootout loss to Portugal in the 2025 Nations League as an official defeat.

Therefore, Deschamps certainly cannot say he received no warnings.

Another problem for France was that, upon arriving in Arlington, they seemed to take it for granted that they could smoothly win again simply by continuing the tactics used in every previous FIFA World Cup match.

But this time, Deschamps was clearly unprepared for Spain, a completely different opponent.

Spain had a game plan that could both limit France's strengths and precisely target France's weaknesses.

Although Yamal did not play his most dazzling game, his role was still extremely crucial.

Spain identified early on that France's left-back Digne was the weakest link in their defense. In their one-on-one duel, Yamal continuously cut inside, burst outside, and repeatedly attacked from the start of the match, keeping Aston Villa's Digne busy.

He keenly anticipated a second ball, reacted first to it, successfully enticed Digne to foul, winning a penalty for Spain, and completely set the tone for the game.

Around the 70th minute, an exhausted Digne was finally substituted by Theo Hernández.

Yamal, not yet 20, has already played in a European Championship final – Spain defeated England to win in 2024 – and will now step onto the stage of the FIFA World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in New York on Sunday.

Spain won almost all of the similar small-scale duels across the pitch.

Olise, who had been exceptional in this tournament, was practically a spectator, restricted by the disciplined and tight positioning of Rodri and Fabián Ruiz.

With Olise contained, Dembele and Mbappe, France's two most dangerous attacking threats, naturally lost their constant supply.

The French team in midfield always seemed to be playing with one less man, unable to organize their own attacks or restrict Spain's passing and possession game.

One of Deschamps' most trusted players, Rabiot, committed two consecutive fouls in the last stages of the first half, one of which resulted in a yellow card, and the second left him constantly on the verge of being sent off, leading to his substitution at halftime.

Spain coach De la Fuente clearly identified that France's 4-2-3-1 formation, with Olise as a free attacking midfielder, would be completely overwhelmed by Spain's numerical superiority in midfield.

And for Spain, the even bigger news was that former Ballon d'Or winner Rodri finally returned to top form.

Previously, he had missed almost the entire 2024-2025 season due to a severe cruciate ligament injury.

Against France, he delivered a dominant performance in Spain's defensive midfield role, constantly disrupting French attacks while organizing and linking the team's offensive play.

De la Fuente called Rodri the team's "backbone."

He said: "I said a long time ago that questioning Rodri is an insult to intelligence. Time has proven us right. He is the best player for our football philosophy. We won the game today through discipline, organization, commitment, and effort, and we also correctly understood every detail of the game. As Spanish players, what we are best at is reading the game and handling the defensive phase in midfield. All of this comes from the coaching staff's long-term work, especially during youth development."

Of course, Spain has many excellent players.

But apart from Yamal, this Spanish team was not the team that attracted the most global attention in the past month.

The players in their squad are not the most common names on the backs of fans' jerseys in North American streets, nor are they the stars of brand billboards or video game covers.

Spain's journey has not been without bumps.

But now, they have proven themselves to be a team that thrives under pressure.

Previously, they advanced in the Round of 16 against Portugal and in the quarter-finals against Belgium with last-minute goals.

Many at the time thought this indicated Spain's immaturity and that they would eventually face problems against stronger teams.

But looking back now, those last-minute goals actually reflect the resilience of a championship team and the spirit of a team that always refuses to give up.

The team culture within Spain is also very strong.

De la Fuente said about the 39-day FIFA World Cup journey: "The most important thing is to choose wisely who you go with. If you get that wrong, you'll be in trouble. We made the right choice. The whole team, including all the staff, is working for the same goal. I have never seen a team with such perfect attitude on the field. Off the field, we haven't even had any problems."

And now, they have proven all of this with the most cohesive performance of this FIFA World Cup so far.

France only managed their first shot on target in the entire match in the 82nd minute.

Many Spanish players even performed far better than they do at their clubs.

Polo's performance at Tottenham over the past year has been inconsistent, but in this match, he earned a standing ovation in Dallas and scored Spain's second goal with a brilliant shot, ultimately being named Man of the Match.

Spanish center-back Laporte also performed exceptionally well. The defender, who played in the Saudi league for two years and returned to Athletic Bilbao last summer, once again proved his worth.

19-year-old Cubarsi further solidified his status as one of the most promising young center-backs in world football.

If he can successfully contain Mbappe at this age, how high will this Barcelona defender grow by the next FIFA World Cup?

And his Barcelona teammate Olmo, with an inspired backheel pass, tore open the French defense, providing a crucial assist for Spain's second goal.

This match also served as a reminder that cup tournaments are sometimes not won by the most flamboyant attacking teams, but by the teams with the most solid defense.

The trophy often goes to the team with the most stable and complete overall performance over 90 minutes, not just the team with a few brilliant moments.

De la Fuente concluded: "This team can perfectly interpret every game. That is the key. As long as we play as a unit, we are unbeatable."

In 2010, when Spain won their first FIFA World Cup, they conceded only 2 goals throughout the tournament.

When they won the European Championship in 2012, they conceded only 1 goal in the entire tournament.

And in this FIFA World Cup so far, Spain has also conceded only 1 goal, with Belgium being the only team to break through their defense.

As the final whistle approached, television cameras panned to the stands.

Former members of Spain's FIFA World Cup winning team – Casillas, Puyol, Ramos, and Xavi – quietly watched everything on the field.

The legend of style and victory belonging to their champion team continues fully in this Spanish team.

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