Man-of-the-match Patrick Vieira warned France's last eight opponents Brazil that Les Bleus can still improve on a pulsating 3-1 win over Spain which set up a World Cup quarter-final between the last two teams to lift the most important trophy in world sport.

Vieira scored the crucial second goal against Spain before Zinedine Zidane - like Vieira, a 1998 veteran - added a third in the dying seconds to secure victory for Raymond Domenech's team and a match with the team they beat 3-0 in the final eight years ago and who succeeded them as world champions in 2002.

Vieira, also man-of-the-match in the 2-0 Group G win over Togo that saw France qualify for the knockout stages, said: "We are still far from the final and we don't set ourselves targets but this team can achieve a lot more.

"People have great expectations of this team. We have worked very hard and the team will continue to improve with every game we play. We must improve because every match is a different game and the important thing is that we keep believing in ourselves."

Vieira set up the first-half equaliser for Franck Ribery with whom he played a one-two and then his late far-post header -  which went in off Sergio Ramos - secured France a lead they successfully defended before Zidane's late goal killed the game.

Earlier David Villa's penalty had given Spain the lead.

"For the first goal Spain were trying to play offside, Ribery gave me the ball and I gave it back to him," said Vieira. "It was a fantastic finish from him. The second came from a free-kick - a Spanish player deflected it into my path and I just managed to put it in the net."

The free-kick was awarded for a supposed foul by Carles Puyol on Thierry Henry who went down clutching his face even though the challenge appeared to be shoulder to shoulder.

Coach Domenech declined to discuss the merits of the free-kick decision which was disputed by Spain coach Luis Aragones.

However, Domenech was more keen to savour the goal scored by Zidane in his last tournament before retiring from the game.

"I say what I always say - that I have 23 players and each and everyone of them has to be ready to play a part when they are required to do so," said the coach who, as France under-21 coach for more than a decade before succeeding Jacques Santini in 2004, made his own contribution to the 1998 success.

"However, I must admit that it was special for Zizou to score because we all know what we can bring to the team."

Zidane's goal - his first at a World Cup since his second in the 3-0 final win over Brazil eight years ago - secured France's passage into a last eight clash with the Brazilians with a semi-final battle against England or Portugal the reward for the winners.