Spain v France LIVE: Euro 2024 result and final score as Lamine Yamal wondergoal knocks out Kylian Mbappe
Spain 2-1 France: The 16-year-old Lamine Yamal scored a stunning goal as La Roja advanced to the Berlin final, where they will face England or the Netherlands
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Spain’s Lamine Yamal scored a wondergoal to become the youngest scorer in men’s European Championship history to help knock out tournament favourites France and reach the final of Euro 2024.
The 16-year-old fired a stunning strike into the top cover from outside the penalty area to equalise after Randal Kolo Muani’s early opener in the semi-final in Munich. And Dani Olmo then struck moments later to give Spain the lead, as his goal-bound shot deflected in off France defender Jules Kounde.
Spain looked to contain France in a tight second half that saw few chances, but captain Kylian Mbappe blazed over the bar when finally getting a sight of goal and manager Didier Deschamps’ attacking changes did not help to force a late equaliser as La Roja held on.
Spain are through to their first men’s final since last winning the Euros in 2012 and will face either England or the Netherlands in Berlin on Sunday. Gareth Southgate’s side play the Dutch tomorrow night looking to reach consecutive Euro finals after defeat to Italy three years ago.
Follow all the latest updates from Spain v France below:
Early team news & predicted line-ups
Spain will be without three key players for their match against Germany. Dani Carvajal and Robin Le Normand are suspended having collected yellow cards (and a red in Carvajal’s case) during the quarter-final while Pedri sustained an injury after a heavy tackle from Toni Kroos that is expected to rule him out.
France have no suspensions or injuries which could give them a significant advantage for the match if Didier Deschamps can finally unlock their potential ruthlessness in front of goal.
Predicted line-ups
Spain XI: Simon, Navas, Nacho, Laporte, Cucurella, Ruiz, Rodri, Olmo, Williams, Morata, Yamal
France XI: Maignan, Hernandez, Saliba, Upamecano, Kounde, Rabiot, Tchouameni, Kante, Griezmann, Mbappe, Dembele
When are the Euro 2024 semi-finals? Dates, kick-off times and fixture schedule
Ahead of both semi-finals, here’s a reminder of the schedule and how you can watch them.
Euro 2024 nears its finale after the last eight teams were whittled down to four ahead of the semi-finals.
Germany, Portugal, Switzerland and Turkey all fell at the quarter-final stage, as Spain set up a mouth-watering clash with France and England squeezed through to face Netherlands.
The semi-finals will be played on Tuesday and Wednesday night, before Sunday’s final in Berlin.
Below is the full fixture schedule for the Euro 2024 knockout stages, and TV arrangements:
Euro 2024 semi-final fixtures, dates and kick-off times
Every game being played in Germany as we move closer to crowning the winner of the Euros
Euro 2024 - live: England news and analysis with Gareth Southgate’s side preparing for semi-finals
If you’re after some news ahead of England’s clash against the Netherlands tomorrow, look no further than our dedicated blog.
We’re bringing you all the team news, squad updates and preparation ahead of tomorrow night’s game.
Euro 2024 - live: England reaction, news and analysis after penalty heroics
The Three Lions are through to the last four in Germany and a tie against Netherlands awaits
Why is Kylian Mbappe wearing a mask for France against Portugal at Euro 2024?
France captain Kylian Mbappe will wear a mask throughout the rest of Euro 2024 after breaking his nose during the team’s opening victory against Austria.
The superstar forward was left covered in blood after suffering the brutal injury when his face collided into the shoulder of Austria defender Kevin Danso, later leaving the stadium in an ambulance.
Subsequent tests confirmed Mbappe did not require immediate surgeryand he returned to training two days later while sporting a protective covering in the colours of the French flag, alleviating concerns that he would be ruled out of the tournament.
Why is Kylian Mbappe wearing a mask for France against Portugal at Euro 2024?
The superstar forward suffered a broken nose during France’s opening win and is prepared to take a ‘risk’ by returning to the pitch
Spain v France referee: Who is Euro 2024 official Slavko Vincic?
Slavko Vincic will referee the first semi-final of Euro 2024 between Spain and France in Munich on Tuesday night.
The experienced Slovenian official, 44, became a Fifa-listed referee in 2010 and recently refereed the 2024 Champions League final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.
Vinčič’s first tournament was Euro 2012, where he attended as an assistant, and he first took charge at a major international tournament during Euro 2020, when he refereed two group-stage games and the quarter-final between Italy and Belgium.
Spain v France referee: Who is Euro 2024 official Slavko Vincic?
The 44-year-old Slovenian refereed last season’s Champions League final between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund
A 38-year-old Jesus Navas will mark Kylian Mbappe in a Euro 2024 semi-final – he might just win
The generation gap on Spain’s right flank has just grown bigger. Lamine Yamal has spent the tournament passing his school exams and footballing tests, operating in front of a man twice his age, in Dani Carvajal. Yet the six-time Champions League winner was suspended for the Euro 2024semi-final even before he brought his quarter-final to a slightly premature end, rugby-tackling Jamal Musiala to collect his second yellow card deep into extra time.
And so the reserve right-back, who will presumably be parachuted in to face France, whose role will involve racing Kylian Mbappe, is a player who had won the Uefa Cup twice before Yamal was born. One Jesus turned water into wine. The temptation is to think that another may need a still greater miracle to outsprint Mbappe. Jesus Navas, after all, is closer in age to perennial early 90s Tour de France winner Miguel Indurain than he is to Yamal.
But, 21 seasons into his senior career, Navas has a certain timelessness.There are few 38-year-olds whose attributes begin with speed, but his arguably do. He has retained a slim physique that suggests he has zero per cent body fat. As times have changed, Navas hasn’t. He has moved from right wing to right-back yet remains essentially the same.
38-year-old Jesus Navas will mark Kylian Mbappe at Euro 2024 – he might just win
The only member of Spain’s 2010 World Cup-winning team at Euro 2024 has been converted into a right-back in his waning years and now faces his biggest test
France’s biggest problem is not really a problem thanks to Didier Deschamps trick
Two of the three players to score for France in Euro 2024 are out of Euro 2024. One no longer plays international football at all. And one single goal from a French player? Well, that was a penalty.
It puts France two games away from an extraordinary achievement: from winning the European Championships without any of their team mustering a goal in open play. It sounds like a feat that the Greece side in 2004 - limited in ability, clean-sheet specialists and set-piece experts - could have pulled off.
Not France, who scored four and three in the last two World Cup finals respectively; who have Kylian Mbappe, potentially the best player in the world for the next few years and, in time, the best in the World Cup’s history; who have a galaxy of attacking talent. But maybe it would be the definitive Didier Deschamps triumph, doing so in his own very particular way.
France’s biggest problem is not really a problem thanks to Deschamps trick
Les Bleus have progressed to the semi-finals of Euro 2024 without scoring a goal themselves in open play, but an alarming trend may not not Didier Deschamps’s side in Germany
Spain v France
France are looking to reach their fourth Euros final (1984, 2000 and 2016) but only the second not played on French soil (Euro 2000 in the Netherlands).
Spain, meanwhile, are looking to reach their fifth final, with only Germany playing in more (six). The Spaniards have progressed from four of five semi-finals, but lost on penalties to eventual winners Italy at this stage at Euro 2020.
France’s route to the semi-finals
Ahead of the tournament France were placed in Group D alongside Poland, Austria and the Netherlands in what many spectators named ‘the group of death’. It was undoubtably the most tricky group to qualify from even if Les Bleus made things harder for themselves:
Group Stages
France 1-0 Austria – Unsure how Austria would go, France played it safe as Ralf Rangnick’s men proved they were here to compete. Max Wober’s unfortunate own goal secured three crucial points for Didier Deschamps men.
France 0-0 Netherlands – In what could possibly end up being a preview of the Euro 2024 final, a Kylian Mbappe-less France played out a stalemate with the Dutch.
France 1-1 Poland – Needing to avoid defeat to guarantee qualification for the knockout rounds Mbappe opened the scoring from the penalty spot but a Robert Lewandowski penalty brought Poland an equaliser. It’s the only goal France have conceded thus far.
Last-16
France 1-0 Belgium – After finished behind Austria in Group D, France now had to face Belgium. This time it was a Jan Vertonghen own goal which sent them through.
Quarter-final
France 0-0 Portugal (5-3 on penalties) – Billed as Mbappe vs Ronaldo this knockout round tie didn’t live up to the hype. A goalless draw after 120 minutes took the match to a shootout where the French scored a perfect five and advanced.
Pragmatic France have sights set on trophy
Despite criticism of the way they’ve played so far, Didier Deschamps’s France are a solid team who have not really looked under much threat defensively.
In comparison to England, who have also had the ‘boring’ moniker thrown their way, France have kept four clean sheets in their five matches so far while the Three Lions have conceded four goals in the same time.
Les Bleus are also aiming for a fourth major tournament final in the last eight years, after reaching the Euro 2016 showpiece and headline match of both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
That’s an incredible record which shows how experienced this group is at reaching the latter ends of tournaments something their opponents tonight lack.
“We’re in the semi-finals and it’s something we shouldn’t take for granted, even if we may be used to it recently,” said Deschamps after the quarter-final versus Portugal. “Now we go to win it.”
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