Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville has admitted he was left surprised by Spain’s convincing victory over France in the semi finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
France had entered the encounter as favourites to progress, but their hopes of reaching the final were dashed after Spain secured an impressive 2 to 0 win to book a place in the tournament’s showpiece match.
Spain took the lead through Mikel Oyarzabal, who calmly converted a penalty before Pedro Porro added a second goal with a composed finish to seal victory. The European champions will now meet either Argentina or England in the World Cup final.
Reacting to the result during ITV’s post match analysis, Neville said the outcome caught many observers off guard, noting that most people had expected France to come out on top.
He described Spain’s display as outstanding, saying the team dominated the contest with an exceptional all round performance.
Neville also pointed to the performances of the full backs as one of the biggest differences between the two sides. According to him, Spain’s Marc Cucurella and Pedro Porro were excellent in dealing with France’s attacking threats, while French defender Lucas Digne struggled throughout the match.
The former England international said the contrast in quality between the defenders played a significant role in shaping the outcome of the semi final as Spain comfortably secured their place in the World Cup final.
