This is the end of the Blues’ dream, but not the end of the competition. This Thursday, July 14th, they faced Spain in the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup. It was the Spaniards who won the match with a score of 2:0 and therefore reached the final. They will face England or Argentina, depending on the result of the match on Wednesday 15 July.
Despite their defeat, Team France will play one final match, a small final, to determine who will finish third in the competition. This match will take place on Saturday 18 July at 23:00. and will be broadcast unencrypted on M6. But on this occasion the channel decided to shake up its programs.
Bye Domestic scenes should have been broadcast before the meeting, This Magemagazine of the FIFA World Cup, which takes its place at 20:35.. Therefore, the evening will be entirely dedicated to football.
World Cup 2026: record audience at the France-Spain meeting
This Thursday, July 14, many French spectators watched the France-Spain semi-final in front of their screens. Mediametri reported that the meeting was watched by 20.2 million people on channel M6 from 21:00. (73.1% audience share). This is a record of the year for a Blues match.
This World Cup was highly attended as France’s previous match against Morocco had already broken the record with 16.1 million fans (72.8% of the crowd). It remains to be seen whether this small finale will go as well as previous meetings.
World Cup 2026: who is the Blues’ opponent in the small final?
This Wednesday, July 15, Argentina will meet England in the semi-finals of the World Cup. The winner will face Spain in the final on Sunday 19 July, while the loser will face France in the small final on 18 July.
Didier Deschamps’ Blues will have to do everything possible to offer at least a third place to their coach, who has announced that he will leave the French national team after this World Cup. They will have one day to prepare for the final match of the competition.
❓WORLD CUP – Who will watch the French third place final on Saturday at 23:00?
— Tele-Loisirs (@TeleLoisirs) July 15, 2026
Will England or Argentina face Spain in the final?
After the Blues’ horrendous disappointment against Spain yesterday, it remains to be seen who will be the second finalist at the 2026 World Cup. According to bookmakers, this is undoubtedly one of the most undecided matches of the tournament as the odds are very close. England appear to be slightly ahead and forecasters appear to doubt Argentina’s ability to achieve another feat, narrowly beating Cape Verde, Tunisia and Switzerland. But these hard-fought victories also prove that they don’t give up…
We also note that this match could play an important role in awarding the future Ballon d’Or. Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Lionel Messi remain candidates for the honorary title awarded by France Football. Qualifying for the World Cup final could give them important points at a time when no players appear to have emerged following France’s elimination.