“A lesson for the world,” the Spanish press revels in La Roja’s success against the Blues.

The demonstration by Spain against France (2-0) on Tuesday in the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup resonated widely in the columns of the Spanish press. The day after the match, the main sports and generalist newspapers unanimously praised the performance of Luis de la Fuente’s team while highlighting the struggles displayed by the Blues. The daily Marca celebrates a historic night, describing the Spanish performance as a memorable spectacle. The newspaper believes that La Roja has claimed French national holiday as their own by completely dominating their neighbor, showcasing their superiority on the Dallas pitch.

The enthusiasm is similarly echoed by AS, which prominently features a strong message presenting this victory as “a lesson for the world.” The Madrid daily considers that Spain has confirmed its status as a benchmark in international football thanks to a high-level collective performance. More measured in tone, El País primarily emphasizes the technical and tactical mastery of the Spanish selection. The newspaper describes it as a performance of great class, concluding that La Roja perfectly controlled the game against a French team rarely in a position to turn the tide.

The daily ABC offers a more nuanced analysis. The paper points out that the injury of William Saliba made things easier for the Spaniards while also highlighting the disappointing performances of several key French players. Michael Olise is deemed to be lacking inspiration, while Ousmane Dembélé is described as far from his best level. The media even concludes that French football is facing a serious setback after this elimination. These reactions illustrate the immense confidence now surrounding La Roja, qualified for the final of the 2026 World Cup and more than ever considered by the Spanish press as the new reference in global football.