Spain advanced to its first World Cup final since 2010 with a dominant 2-0 semi-final victory over France. Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro scored for Spain, who executed a tactical masterclass to neutralize France's star attackers. Spain will face Argentina in the final, while France plays England for third place. This is the third straight tournament where Spain has eliminated France.
Match Summary
- ▪Mikel Oyarzabal scored Spain's first goal with a penalty kick in the 22nd minute
- ▪The loss was the first time France had trailed at any point during the 2026 World Cup tournament
- ▪Pedro Porro scored Spain's second goal in the 58th minute, assisted by Dani Olmo
- ▪The penalty was awarded after 19-year-old Lamine Yamal drew a foul from French defender Lucas Digne
- ▪Spain defeated France 2-0 in a World Cup semi-final in Arlington, Texas, to advance to the final
Spain's Performance
- ▪Spain's victory was described as a tactical "masterclass," based on controlling possession and dominating the midfield
- ▪Midfielder Rodri was a key player for Spain, anchoring the midfield and affording his teammates greater attacking involvement
- ▪Spain's defense held France without a shot on target until after the 80-minute mark
France's Performance
- ▪France's star forward Kylian Mbappé, a contender for the Golden Boot, was neutralized and failed to register a shot on target
- ▪The French press reacted with disappointment, with sports paper L'Équipe headlining its report "Demolished."
- ▪French coach Didier Deschamps, in his final tournament after 14 years, admitted his team was "second best" technically
Finals and Context
- ▪This is the third consecutive major tournament in which Spain has eliminated France in a semi-final, following Euro 2024 and the 2025 Nations League
- ▪This marks Spain's first appearance in a World Cup final since winning the tournament in 2010
- ▪Spain will face Argentina in the World Cup final on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey
- ▪France will play England in the third-place match on Saturday in Miami
Story comments
Loading comments…