- Spain secured a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final with a commanding 2-0 victory over defending champions France at the AT&T Stadium.
- Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring with a 22nd-minute penalty, followed by a second-half strike from Pedro Porro that sealed the win.
- The Spanish defense, led by Rodri and Pau Cubarsí, effectively neutralized France’s high-scoring attack and kept Kylian Mbappé quiet throughout the match.
- This triumph keeps Spain on track for their second World Cup title as they await the winner of the Argentina-England semi-final.
July 15 , (THEWILL) — Spain Silences France to Reach FIFA World Cup 2026 Final
Spain produced a tactical masterclass to defeat France 2-0 in their FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday. The victory secured Spain’s place in Sunday’s final and ended Les Bleus’ hopes of reaching back-to-back World Cup finals.
Luis de la Fuente’s side combined disciplined defending with clinical finishing to outclass the defending champions. France, which arrived at the semi-final as the tournament’s highest-scoring team, was largely neutralised throughout the contest.
Spain broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute after Lucas Digne brought down teenage winger Lamine Yamal inside the penalty area. Mikel Oyarzabal stepped up and calmly converted the resulting spot-kick, sending goalkeeper Mike Maignan the wrong way to give La Roja a deserved lead.
The goal capped an impressive opening spell from Spain, who dominated possession and denied France any attacking rhythm. Didier Deschamps’ men managed just one shot during the first half as Spain’s midfield, led by Rodri, controlled proceedings.
France’s problems were compounded before the interval when defender William Saliba was forced off with an injury, prompting an early defensive reshuffle.
Spain continued to dictate the tempo after the break and doubled their advantage in the 58th minute. Pedro Porro finished off a slick give-and-go move on the edge of the penalty area, capitalising on a defensive lapse before slotting the ball past Maignan to leave France with a mountain to climb.
Deschamps responded by introducing Désiré Doué, Rayan Cherki, and Theo Hernandez in a bid to revive his side’s attack. However, Spain’s defense, marshalled by Rodri and the impressive young centre-back Pau Cubarsí, remained organised and composed.
- Kylian Mbappé, who entered the match level with Lionel Messi on eight goals in the race for the Golden Boot, endured one of his quietest performances of the tournament. The France captain was starved of service throughout the evening, recording the fewest touches of any player on the pitch before receiving a late yellow card for a challenge on goalkeeper Unai Simón as frustration mounted.
By the final whistle, France had managed only three shots on target. It was a rare off-night for a French side that had scored 16 goals while conceding only two in its previous six matches.
The victory sends Spain into Sunday’s World Cup final, where they will face either Argentina or England. Spain is now chasing its second FIFA World Cup title, looking to add to the triumph achieved in South Africa in 2010.
For France, the defeat denied the nation a third consecutive appearance in the World Cup final, following their runs in 2018 and 2022.
