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ARLINGTON: Spain booked their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final with an impressive 2-0 victory over France, producing a disciplined display to end Les Bleus’ title hopes and continue their unbeaten run.
Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the first half after Lamine Yamal was brought down inside the area. Spain doubled their advantage in the 58th minute when defender Pedro Porro finished a well-worked move involving Dani Olmo, putting the match beyond France’s reach.
Spain’s organized defense once again proved decisive, successfully containing France’s star-studded attack featuring Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise. The victory marked Spain’s sixth clean sheet in seven matches at the tournament and extended the team’s unbeaten streak to 37 matches.
France struggled to create clear scoring opportunities throughout the contest, with coach Didier Deschamps acknowledging after the match that his side had been outplayed by a technically superior Spanish team. The defeat ended France’s bid to reach a third consecutive World Cup final.
Spain will now face the winner of the second semifinal between England and Argentina in Sunday’s World Cup final, while France will compete in the third-place playoff.
