The reigning European champions will now face either defending champions Argentina or England in Sunday’s final
Spain booked their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final after a composed 2-0 victory over France in Tuesday’s semi-final in Dallas, ending Les Bleus’ title hopes and moving within one win of a second world crown.
The reigning European champions will now face either defending champions Argentina or England in Sunday’s final, marking Spain’s first World Cup final appearance since their historic triumph at the 2010 tournament in South Africa.
Spain took control early and were rewarded in the 22nd minute when Mikel Oyarzabal calmly converted a penalty after Lucas Digne was penalised for a foul inside the box.
France attempted to respond through Kylian Mbappé and Michael Olise, but Spain’s disciplined defence and organised midfield limited the 2022 runners-up to a few clear-cut opportunities.
Didier Deschamps suffered another setback before the half-hour mark when defender William Saliba was forced off with an injury and replaced by Maxence Lacroix.
Spain continued to dictate proceedings after the break and doubled their advantage in the 58th minute. Dani Olmo threaded a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Pedro Porro, who finished confidently past goalkeeper Mike Maignan to make it 2-0.
Lamine Yamal thought he had added a third just after the hour mark, but the teenager’s effort was ruled out for offside.
France pushed for a way back into the contest, with Mbappé seeing a shot blocked before Désiré Doué forced a fine save late on. Ferran Torres also went close to extending Spain’s lead with a header that drifted narrowly wide.
Mbappé’s frustrations were summed up when he was booked in the closing minutes for a reckless challenge as Spain comfortably saw out the victory.
The result extends Spain’s remarkable unbeaten run to 37 matches, a new national record, and keeps alive their bid to add the World Cup title to the UEFA European Championship they won in 2024.
On a personal note, teenage sensation Lamine Yamal extended his dominance over his French rival Mbappe.
Yamal has now won nine of his 11 meetings against Mbappé for club and country.
Having reached their first World Cup final in 16 years, Luis de la Fuente’s side will now aim to emulate the class of 2010 by lifting football’s biggest prize once again
