Two European giants clash with an Olympic gold medal on the line Friday as hosts France meet defending Euro 2024 champs Spain in the final from Paris.
Both teams have reached this stage thanks to late fireworks. France coach Thierry Henry’s squad was lifted to the gold medal match after Michael Olise and Jean-Philippe Mateta brought Les Bleus back from an early deficit against Egypt in the semifinals, while Spain needed a come-from-behind effort to get by Morocco the last time out.
The two nations both have star goal scorers leading the charge, as Mateta and Fermin Lopez, who both scored in the semifinals, have bagged four goals in this competition.
At the end of this match, a European nation is guaranteed to win an Olympic gold medal for the first time since Spain triumphed in 1992. The modern stretch of Olympic football has been dominated largely by Brazil and Argentina, with Cameroon and Mexico sprinkled in the mix as well. France last won gold at the 1984 games in Los Angeles, when Henry was just seven years old.
The Sporting News is following the France vs. Spain match live, providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they happen.
France vs. Spain live score
| Score (1H) | Goal scorers | |
| France | 1 | Millot (12′) |
| Spain | 0 | – |
Kickoff: 6 p.m. local (12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT)
Location: Parc des Princes (Paris, France)
Referee: Ramon Abatti (BRZ)
Starting lineups:
France (4-3-1-2, right to left): 16. Restes (GK) — 5. Sildillia, 4. Bade, 2. Lukeba, 3. Truffert — 12. Millot, 6. Kone, 13. Chotard — 7. Olise — 10. Lacazette, 14. Mateta.
Spain (4-2-3-1, right to left): 1. Tenas (GK) — 2. Pubill, 4. E. Garcia, 5. Cubarsi, 3. Miranda — 6. Barrios, 10. Baena — 14. Oroz, 11. F. Lopez, 17. S. Gomez — 9. A. Ruiz.
France vs. Spain live updates, highlights from Olympic men’s final
12th min: GOAL! FRANCE! The hosts are in front after an error from the Spain goalkeeper! Enzo Millot puts France 1-0 up with a speculative tight-angle shot that sees Arnau Tenas jump in the wrong direction. Even so, he gets both hands on the ball, but it ends up in the net anyways!
7th min: While France haven’t exactly dominated possession, the game has to this point largely been played in Spain’s half of the pitch. France are managing to keep the ball in the attacking half, either on the ball or defending Spain’s low-tempo possession.
2nd min: Alexandre Lacazette is spoken to by the referee for his dissent after a challenge down near the end line, as the Brazilian official did not appreciate his reaction.
There’s an early concern here for Spain as Fermin Lopez is down in midfield after he collided hard with an opponent and appears to be in great pain, having received a hefty blow to his midsection. He’s eventually up and waves away the stretcher, set to continue.
Kickoff: They’re under way at Parc des Prince, where either the host nation or the defending Euro champions will win an Olympic gold medal!
France vs. Spain: Pre-match commentary, analysis, more
15 mins to kickoff: With a gold medal on the line, these players will leave it all on the line, and things could get chippy. The man in charge of this match is young, as 34-year-old Brazilian referee Ramon Abatti will man the whistle.
He was controversially in charge during a Brazilian Serie A match earlier this summer between Vasco da Gama and Botafogo in which he failed to even book Hugo Moura of Vasco for a blatant red card-worthy challenge on Tche Tche of Botafogo. Hopefully he can keep better control of this match with so many watching around the world.
30 mins to kickoff: Men’s soccer at the Olympics is a youth tournament, but 17-year-old Pau Cubarsi stands out even amongst the largely U-23 group as an incredibly young participant. The Barcelona center-back burst onto the scene after impressing at the club level when thrown into the mix amidst an injury crisis, and he’s been exceptional for Spain at the Olympics this summer.
A great and high-level performance from Pau Cubarsi against Morocco, incredible defensive contributions. #FCBMasia
42/44 Passes
1 Chance created
2/2 Long balls
1/1 Tackles won
1 Block
2 Recoveries
2 Passes into final third
2/2 Grounds duels won
1/2 Aerial duels won pic.twitter.com/p3nXU1RdN1— LaMasia Report (@Lamasia_Report) August 5, 2024
45 mins to kickoff: Moments ago, the women’s bronze medal match concluded as goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger secured bronze for Germany with a walk-off penalty save right at the death, denying Alexia Putellas in the eighth minute of stoppage time to seal a 1-0 victory. It was an incredible moment.
Will we have similar drama at the very end of today’s gold medal men’s match?
🤩 ¡¡ESPECTACULAR!! ¡¡SUBLIME!! ¡¡INCREÍBLE!! 👏
Ann-Katrin Berger le atajó el penal a Alexia Putellas en los últimos segundos y con esto ¡ALEMANIA LOGRA EL BRONCE! 🇩🇪🥉
Revive el momento 🎥🔽#OlimpicosTelemundo #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/nsTOYcOFe3
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) August 9, 2024
1 hour to kickoff: Lineups are in, and they’re just as expected for both sides. There are no surprises whatsoever as both teams deploy their strongest XI.
1 hour 15 mins to kickoff: Fermin Lopez has had an exceptional Olympics for Spain, but he could go back to Barcelona without a spot in the lineup after the arrival of new signing Dani Olmo.
Lopez has four goals and an assist in the Olympics, and while he’s out of reach for the Golden Boot with Soufiane Rahimi of Morocco finishing on eight, he could leave himself second in the scoring chart with a goal today in the final. After winning Euro 2024, winning an Olympic gold medal in the same summer would be a gargantuan accomplishment.
Fermín López 🇪🇸💫#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/x5CAsudCJv
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) August 7, 2024
1 hour 30 mins to kickoff: One player to watch in this match is France defender Castello Lukeba, a highly-rated center-back who plays for RB Leipzig and has a €40 million valuation on Transfermarkt, the third-highest mark on the Bleus squad. The German club are hoping that number increases significantly over the next calendar year, as Lukeba was brought in a year ago for €30 million from Lyon and RB Leipzig are known for their ability to turn a strong profit on big-money prospects.
An Olympic gold medal should help that considerably.
With Richard Hughes name-checking the Olympics as a potential delay to #LFC transfer plans, it’s worth keeping an eye on Castello Lukeba (21, LCB, Leipzig).
Heading into the final with France 🇫🇷 after 2-1 win vs. Egypt tonight. pic.twitter.com/scy9FKSQCS
— Jack Lusby (@LusbyJack) August 5, 2024
2 hours to kickoff: While we’re on the topic of transfers, Barcelona have made the signing of Dani Olmo official. The Spaniard starred for his country earlier this summer at Euro 2024, and now will be rooting his nation on in the Olympic gold medal match after signing for one of the world’s biggest clubs.
President 🤝 Dani Olmo pic.twitter.com/YDcWKbtdeV
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 9, 2024
2 hours 30 mins to kick: Chelsea have reportedly signed Wolves winger Pedro Neto at €60 million, a wonderful player with a significant injury risk. It’s just another reminder that Bayern Munich signing Michael Olise for €53 million is a strong deal.
🚨 BREAKING: Chelsea reach agreement with Wolverhampton Wanderers to sign Pedro Neto. Fee €60m + €3m addons. 24yo Portugal international winger set to undergo medical soon before completing transfer from #WWFC to #CFC @TheAthleticFC after @FabriceHawkins https://t.co/4k2UW7sEYe
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) August 9, 2024
3 hours to kickoff: France head coach Thierry Henry has been a central figure in the enjoyable vibes this Bleus team has enjoyed. The Arsenal legend showed off his dance moves when he joined in the celebrations after the semifinal victory over Egypt, and the squad comes into this final flying high.
Thierry Henry joined in on the celebrations after his France team progressed to the final of #Paris2024 🕺
🎥 @rayan_cherki on Instagram pic.twitter.com/YelTSMbYy6
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) August 6, 2024
France vs. Spain kickoff time
This gold medal match at the 2024 Summer Olympics kicks off from Parc des Princes on Friday, August 9 at 6 p.m. local time in Paris, France. Here’s how that time translates across some of the major territories around the globe:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA/Canada | Fri, Aug. 9 | 12 p.m. ET |
| USA/Canada | Fri, Aug. 9 | 9 a.m. PT |
| UK | Fri, Aug. 9 | 5 p.m. BST |
| Australia | Sat, Aug. 10 | 2 a.m. AEST |
| India | Fri, Aug. 9 | 9:30 p.m. IST |
France vs. Spain lineups, team news, starting 11
Thierry Henry called in striker Alexandre Lacazette to carry the goal scoring load, one of just three players to have been capped by the senior squad.
Yet he’s been outshined by Crystal Palace duo Michael Olise and Jean-Philippe Mateta. Mateta is the second-leading scorer in the competition with four goals, while Olise, who’s on his way to Bayern Munich this summer, leads the team with six contributions.
Enzo Millot will likely return to the starting lineup after missing the semifinal with a red card suspension. Kouadio Kone will also slot back into the midfield after yellow card accumulation kept him sidelined last time out.
France starting lineup (4-3-1-2): Restes (GK) — Sildillia, Bade, Lukeba, Truffert — Millot, Kone, Chotard — Olise — Mateta, Lacazette.
France subs (7): Nkambadio (GK), Locko, Magassa, Doue, Akliouche, Kalimuendo-Muinga, Cherki.
Spain’s Olympic men’s roster is a masterclass of construction by head coach Santi Denia. Overage exemptions Juan Miranda, Sergio Gomez, and Abel Ruiz have all been critical parts of this squad.
He also brought in Fermin Lopez and Alex Baena who were part of the Euro 2024 squad but didn’t play much, and therefore were fresh to perform big at the Olympics. Lopez in particular has been enormous, with four goals and an assist from his No. 10 position.
Spain starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Tenas (GK) — Pubill, E. Garcia, Cubarsi, Miranda — Barrios, Baena — Oroz, F. Lopez, S. Gomez — A. Ruiz.
Spain subs (7): J. Garcia (GK), Pacheco, Juanlu, M. Gutierrez, Bernabe, Turrientes, Camello.
France vs. Spain live stream, TV channel
| TV Channel | Streaming | |
| USA | USA Network, Telemundo | Fubo USA, Peacock, NBC Sports app/website, Telemundo Deportes en Vivo |
| UK | BBC | Premier Sports 1 |
| Australia | — | Stan Sport, 9Now |
| Canada | — | CBC Sports app/website |
| India | — | — |
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