Spain Equal 'World Record' With 2-0 Win Over France, 1-Match Away From Ultimate Invincibility
Spain equalled Italy's record with a 37-match unbeaten run after defeating France 2-0 in the World Cup 2026 semi-final.
- Spain matched Italy's world record with a 37-match unbeaten run in men's international football
- Spain won 8 consecutive knockout matches in FIFA World Cups and UEFA European Championships
- Spain's unbeaten streak includes 28 wins and 9 draws since March 2024
As Spain marched into the FIFA World Cup 2026 final by beating France 2-0 on Tuesday, they matched one of the most celebrated records in men's international football. The World Cup semi-final win over France extended Spain's unbeaten run to 37 matches across all competitions, equalling Italy's all-time record. The victory in the penultimate round of the competition also saw La Roja become the first European nation ever to win 8 consecutive knockout matches across the FIFA World Cups and UEFA European Championships.
With the World Cup final their next assignment on Sunday, Spain have a golden chance to establish the longest unbeaten run ever recorded by an international team.
Spain's defensive masterclass against Les Bleus stretched an undefeated streak that has now yielded 28 victories and nine draws. The foundation for this run was laid over two years ago, following a solitary 1-0 friendly defeat against Colombia at London's Olympic Stadium in March 2024.
Teams with the longest unbeaten run in international football:
1. Italy: 37 matches (2018-2021)
2. Spain: 37 matches (2024-present)
3. Argentina: 36 matches (2019-2022)
Since that night, La Roja have proved utterly unbeatable, navigating international friendlies, the UEFA Nations League, a flawless Euro 2024 campaign, and are now on a dominant run in the World Cup without tasting defeat. The feat draws them level with Roberto Mancini's iconic Italy side, whose 37-match unbeaten sequence between October 2018 and September 2021 had previously stood as the gold standard for European men's football.
Beyond the unbeaten streak, the semi-final in Dallas rewrote tournament history books. By seeing off France, Spain broke a historic ceiling to claim eight successive knockout-stage victories across football's two premier international tournaments.
Previously, the European benchmark stood at seven straight knockout wins, a record shared by Vittorio Pozzo's back-to-back World Cup-winning Italy side (1934-1938) and Spain's own iconic Tiki-Taka generation between 2008 and 2012.
Spain will be up next against the winner of the second semifinal between England and Argentina, which takes place on Wednesday.
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