Spain has secured a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final after a disciplined 2-0 victory over France in the semi-final at Dallas Stadium. Goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro propelled the Spanish side to their first World Cup final appearance since their title-winning campaign in 2010. The win marks a significant achievement for coach Luis de la Fuente’s squad, which has demonstrated remarkable defensive consistency throughout the tournament.
The match turned in the 22nd minute when teenager Lamine Yamal drew a foul from French defender Lucas Digne inside the penalty area. Oyarzabal calmly converted the resulting spot-kick to give Spain an early lead. France, despite boasting a star-studded attack led by Kylian Mbappé, struggled to break down a resilient Spanish defense that has now kept six clean sheets in seven matches.
Spain extended their advantage in the 58th minute through a well-executed attacking move. Pedro Porro combined with Dani Olmo before finishing clinically to put the game out of reach for the French side. While France attempted to rally with substitutions, Spain maintained control of the tempo and successfully neutralized threats from the French forwards.
This result marks the third consecutive summer that Spain has defeated France in a major tournament semi-final. For France, the loss ends their pursuit of a third straight World Cup final appearance. They will now compete in the third-place play-off on Saturday. Spain will face the winner of the second semi-final between England and Argentina in the championship match this Sunday at MetLife Stadium.