Spain Defeat France 2–0 to Reach World Cup Final After 16 Years

Dragon Media News Desk

Spain advanced to the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating tournament favourites France 2–0 in an impressive semifinal performance.

The first semifinal was played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday local time and Wednesday morning in Nepal. Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro scored for Spain at the venue officially referred to as Dallas Stadium during the World Cup.

The victory sent Spain into a World Cup final for the first time in 16 years. Spain won their only World Cup title in South Africa in 2010, defeating the Netherlands 1–0 in the final. This will be only the second World Cup final in Spain’s football history.

Spain took the lead from the penalty spot in the 22nd minute. Referee Iván Barton awarded the penalty after experienced French defender Lucas Digne brought down Lamine Yamal inside the area. Oyarzabal calmly sent goalkeeper Mike Maignan the wrong way to put Spain ahead.

It was Oyarzabal’s fifth goal of the tournament. The strike also took his international tally to 30 goals in 60 appearances for Spain. It was the first time France had fallen behind in their seven matches at the tournament.

France attempted to respond before halftime, but Spain’s midfield, led by Rodri, maintained control of possession. Rodri, Fabián Ruiz and Dani Olmo disrupted France’s attempts to build attacks through the centre.

Spain’s disciplined defensive structure also prevented Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise from creating clear scoring opportunities.

France suffered another setback when defender William Saliba was forced to leave the field with an injury during the first half. Midfielder Adrien Rabiot, who received a yellow card in the eighth minute, was unable to challenge freely and was substituted at the beginning of the second half.

Spain doubled their advantage in the 58th minute. Right-back Pedro Porro exchanged passes with Dani Olmo, moved beyond the French defence and beat Maignan with a composed finish.

Yamal later put the ball into the net, but the goal was disallowed for offside following a video assistant referee review. Although the teenager did not score, he won the penalty for Spain’s opening goal and continuously troubled the French defence.

France introduced Theo Hernández and Rayan Cherki in the closing stages in an effort to increase their attacking pressure. However, Spain remained organised and protected their lead comfortably.

Mbappé attempted three shots, but none was on target. France managed only two shots on target throughout the match as Spain successfully neutralised one of the tournament’s most highly rated attacking units.

Spain have kept clean sheets in six of their seven matches at the tournament. They have scored 12 goals and conceded only once on their journey to the final, with the sole goal coming in their quarterfinal against Belgium.

Spain also extended their unbeaten run in regulation and extra time to 37 matches since March 2024. During that period, they have recorded 28 victories and nine draws, surpassing their previous national record of 35 consecutive unbeaten matches established between 2007 and 2009.

The result marked Spain’s third consecutive competitive semifinal victory over France. Spain defeated France 2–1 in the Euro 2024 semifinal and recorded a 5–4 victory in the 2025 UEFA Nations League semifinal.

France, meanwhile, missed the opportunity to reach a third consecutive World Cup final. They won the tournament in Russia in 2018 before losing to Argentina in a penalty shootout in the 2022 final in Qatar.

France will now contest the third-place playoff against the losing team from the second semifinal between Argentina and England.

After the match, France coach Didier Deschamps acknowledged that his team had been second best technically, tactically and physically. He said Spain had closed passing lanes effectively and prevented France from establishing their rhythm.

Captain Mbappé also accepted responsibility for France’s failure to produce the level of performance required in a World Cup semifinal.

Spain will face the winner of the Argentina–England semifinal in the title match at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford.

The final is scheduled for Sunday, July 19, local time, corresponding to early Monday morning, July 20, in Nepal. A victory would give Spain their second World Cup title and another major international trophy following their Euro 2024 triumph.