Spain marched into the FIFA World Cup 2026 final after producing a disciplined 2-0 victory over France at Dallas Stadium on Wednesday.
A first-half penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal, followed by a superb finish from Pedro Porro, ensured the Spaniards earned a deserved place in the title clash.
Although France began the match brightly and looked dangerous through Kylian Mbappé, Spain gradually gained the upper hand.
Teen sensation Lamine Yamal forced Lucas Digne into a mistimed challenge inside the penalty area, earning a spot-kick that Oyarzabal confidently dispatched beyond Mike Maignan.
Moments later, Spain doubled their advantage as Pedro Porro combined brilliantly with Dani Olmo before guiding a precise finish into the bottom corner to leave France trailing by two goals.
France attempted to revive the contest after the interval, with Didier Deschamps introducing Desire Doue and Rayan Cherki to add attacking impetus.
Spain’s defence remained organised throughout, with goalkeeper Unai Simón sweeping up danger confidently and Marc Cucurella making a crucial intervention to stop Mbappé.
The result extended France’s disappointing record in World Cup semi-finals, marking their fourth defeat at this stage of the competition. It also represented a third successive semi-final elimination at the hands of Spain following defeats at UEFA Euro 2024 and the UEFA Nations League 2025.
Spain will now meet the winners of the England versus Argentina semi-final in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final at New Jersey Stadium.
France will turn their attention to Saturday’s third-place play-off, where Mbappe and his teammates will look to finish their campaign on a positive note.
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