Spain Beat France 2-0 to Reach FIFA World Cup 2026 Final
Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail
ARLINGTON, Texas: Spain produced an impressive all-round display to defeat France 2-0 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final on Tuesday, securing a place in the tournament’s final.
The European champions ended France’s title hopes with a disciplined performance at AT&T Stadium, where first-half and second-half goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro proved enough to seal victory.
Spain, who lifted the World Cup trophy in 2010, will now face the winner of the other semi-final between Argentina and England in Sunday’s final in New Jersey.
France entered the match as one of the tournament favourites after an outstanding run to the last four, but Spain controlled much of the contest through a composed midfield performance led by Rodri, with strong support from Fabian Ruiz and Dani Olmo.
Spain dominated possession in the opening stages and created several promising attacks before earning a penalty in the 20th minute. A cross from Marc Cucurella caused problems in the French penalty area, and Lamine Yamal was brought down following a challenge by Lucas Digne.
Oyarzabal confidently converted the penalty, giving Spain a deserved 1-0 lead.
France suffered another setback midway through the first half when central defender William Saliba was forced off through injury and replaced by Maxence Lacroix.
Spain continued to dictate the tempo and nearly doubled their advantage before halftime, although France also created opportunities, with Kylian Mbappe going close on more than one occasion.
The second half followed a similar pattern as Spain remained in control. In the 58th minute, Pedro Porro combined brilliantly with Dani Olmo before finishing calmly past goalkeeper Mike Maignan to extend Spain’s lead to 2-0.
Spain thought they had added a third goal shortly afterward, but Lamine Yamal’s effort was ruled out for offside following a VAR review.
France attempted to respond with several substitutions, but Spain’s organized defensive structure limited clear scoring chances. Goalkeeper Unai Simon produced key saves, including an important stop to deny Mbappe late in the match.
Despite increased pressure in the closing stages, France could not break through as Spain comfortably protected their two-goal advantage.
The victory sends Spain into their first FIFA World Cup final since their triumph in 2010, while France’s campaign comes to an end in the semi-finals after an otherwise impressive tournament run.
