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France–Spain football rivalry

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
France–Spain football rivalry
Spain and France lining up before a Euro 2012 quarter-final encounter
LocationEurope (UEFA)
Teams France
 Spain
First meetingFrance 0–4 Spain
Friendly
(30 April 1922)
Latest meetingSpain 2–1 France
UEFA European Championship
(9 July 2024)
Statistics
Meetings total37
Most winsSpain (17)
All-time seriesFrance: 13
Draw: 7
Spain: 17
Largest victorySpain 8–1 France
Friendly
(14 April 1929)
Largest goal scoringSpain 8–1 France
Friendly
(14 April 1929)
France–Spain football rivalry is located in Europe
France
France
Spain
Spain

The France–Spain football rivalry (French: Rivalité footballistique France-Espagne, Spanish: Rivalidad futbolística entre Francia y España) is one of the biggest and most heated association football rivalries in Europe, between France and Spain, two of the most successful national teams in the world as well as neighbours in Europe.[1]

History

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Like many European countries, football began to reach France and Spain in the late 19th century, and, just like any neighbors, Spain and France shared similar interests in promoting the sport. This led to the two countries' attempt to establish their football associations and seek friendlies. This led to the two countries playing their first-ever friendly in 1922, where Spain outclassed the host 4–0.[2] However, subsequent turmoils meant that there was very little space for football in Spain and France to develop, with the French showed little interests on football at first even when hosting the 1938 FIFA World Cup and Spain was drowned into a brutal civil war. Eventually, the World War II led to the tensions between two nations, with Spain under pro-Nazi Francisco Franco despite its neutrality,[citation needed] and majority of French who opposed Nazi occupation; Spain was viewed with suspicion by France for sheltering several Nazi collaborators during the German occupation of France.[3][4] After the WWII, Spain and France established official relations, and football rivalry began to redevelop.

Initially, Spain achieved its first success in any major competition, winning the 1964 European Nations' Cup, and the rivalry remained a little one-sided with Spain being dominant until France's conquest of UEFA Euro 1984, which they beat Spain in the final. Subsequently, with the following quick development of football in France, especially the establishment of INF Clairefontaine, football successes started to shift to France, and France proved to be more dominant in international achievements than Spain. The rivalry reached a new height after Spain suffered an agonizing 2–1 defeat to France in the 2021 UEFA Nations League final, which attracted media in both countries due to their successes in football competitions and has since become popular throughout confrontation between the two national teams as part of the multi-dimensional rivalry between two states.[5][6][7][8]

Spain holds an edge by victories, winning 17 games compared to France's 13. However, in comparison to the number of competitive wins, France proves more dominant than Spain, with 6 wins compared to just 3 of Spain.

In the 2020s, there were several players with close ties to both countries, including France's Antoine Griezmann, the Hernandez brothers Lucas and Théo (both of Spanish descent) who spent most or all of their careers in Spain, Karim Benzema and Raphaël Varane who had long spells at Real Madrid, the younger Wissam Ben Yedder, Eduardo Camavinga, Ousmane Dembélé, Jules Koundé, Thomas Lemar, Clément Lenglet, Ferland Mendy and Aurélien Tchouaméni who also featured prominently in La Liga,[9] a Spanish contingent at Paris Saint-Germain (comprising internationals Marco Asensio, Juan Bernat, Ander Herrera, Sergio Ramos, Sergio Rico, Fabián Ruiz, Pablo Sarabia and Carlos Soler over a handful of seasons), and France-born defenders Aymeric Laporte and Robin Le Normand who both opted to become naturalised to play for the Spain national team due to greater opportunities for selection in their position compared with their birth nation.[10]

List of matches

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Official matches

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UEFA Euro 1984 final
France 2–0 Spain
Report
UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying Group 1
France 3–1 Spain
Sauzée 14'
Papin 58'
Blanc 76'
Report Bakero 10'
Attendance: 41,474
Referee: Tullio Lanese (Italy)
Spain 1–2 France
Abelardo 33' Report Fernández 12'
Papin 15'
UEFA Euro 1996 Group B
France 1–1 Spain
Report
Attendance: 35,626
Referee: Vadim Zhuk (Belarus)
UEFA Euro 2000 knockout stage
Spain 1–2 France
Report
Attendance: 26,614
2006 FIFA World Cup knockout stage
Spain 1–3 France
Report
UEFA Euro 2012 knockout stage
Spain 2–0 France
Report
Attendance: 47,000[12]
2014 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group I
Spain 1–1 France
Report
Attendance: 46,825
Referee: Felix Brych (Germany)
France 0–1 Spain
Report
Attendance: 78,329
2021 UEFA Nations League final
Spain 1–2 France
Report
Attendance: 31,511
UEFA Euro 2024 knockout stage
Spain 2–1 France
Report
Attendance: 62,042[13]

Total matches

[edit]
Number Date Country Stadium and location Competition Game Results Home scorers Away scorers
1 30 April 1922 France Bouscat, Bordeaux Friendly France – Spain 0–4 Paulino Alcántara (2x)
Manuel López Llamosas (2x)
2 28 January 1923 Spain Atotxa Stadium, San Sebastián Spain – France 3–0 Juan Monjardín (2x)
José Luis Zabala Arrondo
3 22 May 1927 France Stade de Colombes, Paris France – Spain 1–4 Jean Boyer Domingo Zaldúa (2x)
José María Yermo
Luis Olaso
4 14 April 1929 Spain La Romareda, Zaragoza Spain – France 8–1 Paco Bienzobas
Gaspar Rubio (4x, (p))
Mariano Yurrita Llorente
Severiano Goiburu Lopetegui (2x)
Émile Veinante
5 23 April 1933 France Stade de Colombes, Paris France – Spain 1–0 Jean Nicolas
6 24 January 1935 Spain Estadio Chamartín, Madrid Spain – France 2–0 Luis Regueiro
José Marrero
7 15 March 1942 Spain Estadio de Nervión, Nervión Spain – France 4–0 Paco Campos (2x)
Edmundo Suárez
Epifanio Fernández
8 19 June 1949 France Stade de Colombes, Paris France – Spain 1–5 Jean Baratte (p) Estanislau Basora (3x)
Agustín Gaínza (2x, (p))
9 17 March 1955 Spain Estadio Chamartín, Madrid Spain – France 1–2 Agustín Gaínza Raymond Kopa
Jean Vincent
10 13 March 1958 France Parc de Princes, Paris France – Spain 2–2 Just Fontaine
Roger Piantoni
László Kubala
Luis Suárez
11 17 December 1959 France – Spain 4–3 Lucien Muller
Just Fontaine
Jean Vincent
Roger Marche
Luis Suárez
Eulogio Martínez
Martí Vergés
12 2 April 1961 Spain Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid Spain – France 2–0 Enric Gensana
Francisco Gento
13 10 December 1961 France Stade de Colombes, Paris France – Spain 1–1 François Heutte Félix Ruiz
14 9 January 1963 Spain Camp Nou, Barcelona Spain – France 0–0
15 17 October 1968 France Stade de Gerland, Lyon France – Spain 1–3 Bernard Blanchet Pirri
José Ufarte
Luis Aragonés
16 17 March 1971 Spain Luis Casanova, Valencia Spain – France 2–2 Pirri (2x) Hervé Revelli (2x)
17 8 November 1978 France Parc de Princes, Paris France – Spain 1–0 Léonard Specht
18 18 February 1981 Spain Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid Spain – France 1–0 Juanito (p)
19 5 October 1983 France Parc de Princes, Paris France – Spain 1–1 Dominique Rocheteau Juan Señor (p)
20 27 June 1984 UEFA Euro 1984 Final France – Spain 2–0 Michel Platini
Bruno Bellone
21 23 March 1988 Parc de Lescure, Bordeaux Friendly France – Spain 2–1 Gérald Passi
Luis Fernández
Ramón Calderé
22 20 February 1991 Parc de Princes, Paris UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying France – Spain 3–1 Franck Sauzée
Jean-Pierre Papin
Laurent Blanc
José Mari Bakero
23 12 October 1991 Spain Estadio Benito Villamarín, Seville Spain – France 1–2 Abelardo Fernández Luis Fernández
Jean-Pierre Papin
24 15 June 1996 England Elland Road, Leeds UEFA Euro 1996 France – Spain 1–1 Youri Djorkaeff José Luis Caminero
25 28 January 1998 France Stade de France, Saint-Denis Friendly France – Spain 1–0 Zinedine Zidane
26 25 June 2000 Belgium Jan Breydel Stadium, Bruges UEFA Euro 2000 Spain – France 1–2 Gaizka Mendieta Zinedine Zidane
Youri Djorkaeff
27 28 March 2001 Spain Mestalla Stadium, Valencia Friendly Spain – France 2–1 Iván Helguera
Fernando Morientes
David Trezeguet
28 27 June 2006 Germany FIFA WM Stadion Hannover, Hanover 2006 FIFA World Cup Spain – France 1–3 David Villa Franck Ribéry
Patrick Vieira
Zinedine Zidane
29 6 February 2008 Spain Estadio Carlos Belmonte, Albacete Friendly Spain – France 1–0 Joan Capdevila
30 3 March 2010 France Stade de France, Paris France – Spain 0–2 David Villa
Sergio Ramos
31 23 June 2012 Ukraine Donbass Arena, Donetsk UEFA Euro 2012 Spain – France 2–0 Xabi Alonso (2x, (p))
32 16 October 2012 Spain Vicente Calderón Stadium, Madrid 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification Spain – France 1–1 Sergio Ramos Olivier Giroud
33 26 March 2013 France Stade de France, Paris France – Spain 0–1 Pedro
34 4 September 2014 Friendly France – Spain 1–0 Loïc Rémy
35 28 March 2017 France – Spain 0–2 David Silva (p)
Gerard Deulofeu
36 10 October 2021 Italy San Siro, Milan 2021 UEFA Nations League final Spain – France 1–2 Mikel Oyarzabal Karim Benzema
Kylian Mbappé
37 9 July 2024 Germany Allianz Arena, Munich UEFA Euro 2024 Spain – France 2–1 Lamine Yamal
Dani Olmo
Randal Kolo Muani

Statistics

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Overall

[edit]
As of 9 July 2024
Matches Wins Draws Goals
France Spain France Spain
FIFA World Cup 1 1 0 0 3 1
FIFA World Cup qualifiers 2 0 1 1 1 2
UEFA European Championship 5 2 2 1 6 6
UEFA European Championship qualifiers 2 2 0 0 5 2
UEFA Nations League 1 1 0 0 2 1
All competitions 11 6 3 2 17 12
Friendly 26 7 14 5 23 54
All matches 37 13 17 7 40 66

References

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  1. ^ https://www.11v11.com/teams/france/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/Spain/
  2. ^ https://www.11v11.com/matches/france-v-spain-30-april-1922-223245/
  3. ^ Payne, Stanley G. (1987). The Franco Regime, 1936–1975. Univ of Wisconsin Press. p. 356. ISBN 978-0-299-11070-3.
  4. ^ Payne, Stanley G. (2008). Franco and Hitler. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300122824. JSTOR j.ctt5vks5w.
  5. ^ Okwonga, Musa (2021-10-11). "France's Win Over Spain Was a Prelude to an Epic Rivalry in the Making". The Ringer. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  6. ^ CANENCIA, ÓSCAR LÓPEZ (2021-10-09). "España y Francia, historia de una rivalildad futbolística". RTVE.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  7. ^ "Aux origines de la rivalité France-Espagne". www.micromania.fr. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  8. ^ "La France domine son rival espagnol lors du Eleven All Stars". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  9. ^ Six La Liga players in France World Cup squad but Real Madrid star snubbed, Ruairidh Barlow, Football España, 9 November 2022
  10. ^ French defender Le Normand obtains Spanish nationality, France 24, 24 May 2023
  11. ^ "European Football Championship 1984 FINAL". euro2000.org. Union of European Football Associations. Archived from the original on 17 August 2000. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  12. ^ "Full-time report Spain-France" (PDF). Union of European Football Associations. 23 June 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
  13. ^ "Full Time Report – Spain v France" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 9 July 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.