An old video of Arsene Wenger predicting Spain as the only team capable of beating France at the 2026 World Cup has resurfaced and gone viral after Spain defeated France 2-0 in the semi-final on Tuesday, July 14. The former Arsenal manager's prophecy proved accurate as Spain ended France's tournament run despite the French being overwhelming favourites.
Wenger's Prediction Resurfaces
In the footage now circulating widely on social media, Wenger dismissed the threat posed by England and Argentina before singling out Luis de la Fuente's side as the one team with the tools to unsettle France. According to Fox Sports, Wenger stated: "For me, the real question mark is Spain. If any team is capable of beating France right now, I would say it's Spain. Because they have a better technical level than France. They have a quality of collective play, and a culture of collective play, that nobody else in the world has at the moment. Not at this level, anyway. So it's between those two in my opinion. After that, of course, France is stronger physically."
Spain's Dominant Performance
France had entered the semi-final on the back of six commanding performances, with Kylian Mbappé leading an attack that had appeared near impossible to contain. However, Spain's defensive organisation proved equal to the challenge, holding out for a record sixth clean sheet across their seven matches at the competition. Mikel Oyarzabal converted a penalty after a clever run by Lamine Yamal drew a foul inside the box. Pedro Porro then added a second goal to put the result beyond doubt and book Spain's place in the final.
What's Next for Spain
De la Fuente's side will face either defending champions Argentina or England in the final on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Spain will be aiming to win their second World Cup title after their 2010 triumph in South Africa.
