Spain outclass France 2-0 to reach FIFA World Cup 2026 Final

Spain produced one of their finest performances of the FIFA World Cup 2026, defeating France 2-0 in a highly anticipated semi-final to secure a place in Sunday's final at MetLife Stadium.

Widely billed as the "final before the final," the clash featured two of the tournament's strongest teams. Yet when the final whistle sounded at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, there was little doubt about which side deserved to advance.

Goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro, combined with another outstanding defensive display, ended France's hopes of reaching a third consecutive World Cup final while extending Spain's remarkable unbeaten run to 37 matches.

Oyarzabal breaks the deadlock

The breakthrough came midway through the opening half after teenage sensation Lamine Yamal forced France into a costly mistake.

Lucas Digne mistimed an attempted clearance inside the penalty area and caught Yamal with a late challenge, leaving referee Ivan Barton with little hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot.

Oyarzabal calmly converted from 12 yards, powering his effort into the top corner beyond Mike Maignan to register his fifth goal of the tournament and hand Spain a deserved lead.

France's evening became even more complicated shortly afterwards when defender William Saliba was forced off through injury, disrupting Didier Deschamps' defensive plans.

Spain continue to dictate play

France entered the semi-final as one of the tournament's most prolific attacking teams, having scored 16 goals in six matches. However, Spain's compact defensive shape and relentless pressing prevented Les Bleus from finding any attacking rhythm.

Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo and Fabian Ruiz consistently created overloads between the lines, forcing France into repeated turnovers while controlling possession for long periods.

Despite France introducing fresh legs after halftime, Spain remained firmly in control.

Pedro Porro doubles the advantage

The decisive moment arrived shortly before the hour mark. Pedro Porro began the move by exchanging passes with Dani Olmo before continuing his forward run into acres of space.

Olmo slipped a perfectly weighted pass into Porro's path after evading pressure, allowing the Tottenham defender to calmly finish beyond Maignan and double Spain's advantage. The goal highlighted Spain's fluid attacking movement and punished France for switching off defensively.

France unable to respond

Deschamps introduced multiple substitutions, including Desire Doue and Manu Kone, in an attempt to change the momentum. But Spain's defence continued to frustrate every French attack.

France created moments of pressure during the closing stages but struggled to produce clear-cut opportunities against one of the tournament's most organised backlines.

Spain almost added a third when Yamal finished confidently after racing through on goal, only for the effort to be ruled out for a marginal offside. It mattered little. Spain comfortably saw out the remaining minutes to seal another impressive victory.

Spain one win away from World Cup Glory

The victory sends Spain into their first FIFA World Cup final since their historic triumph in South Africa in 2010. Luis de la Fuente's side have now gone 37 matches unbeaten and have conceded just one goal throughout the tournament.

France, meanwhile, will have to settle for the third-place playoff after seeing their pursuit of another World Cup crown brought to an end. Spain will now face the winner of the second semi-final between Argentina and England as they chase a second World Cup title.

Match Summary

Spain 2-0 France

Goals

• Mikel Oyarzabal (22' pen)
• Pedro Porro (58')

SportsLigue