Spain ended Kylian Mbappé's bid to reach the World Cup final for a third consecutive time after beating France 2-0 in the semi-final, bringing to a close a run stretching back to the 2018 and 2022 editions, while the French striker remained joint-top of the Golden Boot race alongside Lionel Messi.
Mbappé failed to create any meaningful chances against the Spanish defence, as France exited the title race despite the forward having been one of the team's standout players throughout the tournament.
The France captain is level with Lionel Messi at the top of the 2026 World Cup top scorers' chart, both on 8 goals, ahead of the Argentina captain's semi-final clash with England on Wednesday evening.
France will await the loser of the Argentina–England match to contest the third-place play-off on Sunday in Miami, Florida, while Spain will face the winner of that second semi-final in the final in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Mbappé had the fewest touches of any France forward in the first half against Spain, registering just 15, with his most notable moment being his protest over the penalty from which Spain scored their opening goal, as he attempted to convince referee Ivan Barton that the call was incorrect.
His best chance came in the 67th minute, when his shot struck Spanish defender Marc Cucurella before passing wide of the post, with France already trailing 2-0.
Mbappé was shown a yellow card in the 86th minute after a collision with Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón as the keeper attempted to collect the ball, causing Simón to fall to the ground.
He started against Spain having left France's quarter-final against Morocco in the 77th minute — the match in which he scored his eighth goal of the current World Cup.
The French striker has now reached 8 goals in consecutive World Cups, having scored the same tally at the 2022 tournament in Qatar, where France lost the final to Argentina on penalties. He previously won the title with Les Bleus at Russia 2018, beating Croatia in the final.