Spain produced a dominant display to defeat tournament favourites France 2-0 on Tuesday, securing a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final and ending Les Bleus’ hopes of lifting a third world title.
First-half goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro proved enough for the European champions to claim victory at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The 2010 world champions will now face either Argentina or England in Sunday’s final in New Jersey.
France arrived at the semi-final as favourites after an impressive run to the last four, but Didier Deschamps’ side struggled to cope with Spain’s disciplined tactics and midfield dominance.
Despite boasting attacking stars Kylian Mbappe, Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola and Michael Olise, France found few opportunities against a well-organised Spanish side.
Spain, who had beaten France in each of their previous two competitive meetings, controlled proceedings from the opening whistle through a commanding midfield performance led by Rodri, with Fabian Ruiz and Dani Olmo providing excellent support.
The Spanish trio consistently outplayed France’s midfield pairing of Adrien Rabiot and Aurelien Tchouameni, allowing Spain to dictate possession and set the tempo of the game.
France’s frustration became evident early when Rabiot received a yellow card in the ninth minute for a challenge on Olmo.
Although France looked dangerous on the counterattack, Spain’s defence stood firm, with Pau Cubarsi producing a crucial block to deny Mbappe in the 16th minute.
Spain eventually broke the deadlock in the 20th minute after Marc Cucurella’s cross caused problems inside the French penalty area. Lucas Digne’s attempted clearance caught Lamine Yamal, prompting referee Ivan Barton to award a penalty.
After a brief delay, Oyarzabal calmly converted from the spot, sending goalkeeper Mike Maignan the wrong way.
France’s problems deepened in the 31st minute when central defender William Saliba was forced off with an injury and replaced by Maxence Lacroix.
Spain nearly doubled their lead before halftime through a flowing attacking move, but Dayot Upamecano made a vital block to prevent Fabian Ruiz from scoring.
France ended the first half strongly, with Unai Simón making an important save to stop Mbappe after a well-weighted pass from Rabiot.
Spain resumed control after the restart as France continued to struggle in midfield.
The decisive second goal arrived in the 58th minute when Porro combined brilliantly with Olmo before finishing confidently beyond Maignan to make it 2-0.
Spain thought they had added a third goal moments later, but Lamine Yamal’s effort was ruled out for offside.
Deschamps introduced several substitutes in search of a comeback, but France failed to break through Spain’s disciplined defence. Their best chance came when Mbappe’s effort was blocked by Simón at the near post.
France’s frustration was summed up late in the game when Mbappe was booked after catching the Spanish goalkeeper during a challenge.
Meanwhile, England and Argentina will battle for the remaining place in the World Cup final when they meet in Wednesday’s semi-final in Atlanta.
The fixture adds another chapter to one of football’s fiercest rivalries, shaped by memorable World Cup encounters and the long-running sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands, known in Argentina as the Malvinas.
The match comes 40 years after Diego Maradona’s famous “Hand of God” goal inspired Argentina’s 2-1 victory over England at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.
England captain Harry Kane, who is competing with Lionel Messi and Mbappe for the tournament’s Golden Boot, insisted his team would remain focused on the football rather than the history surrounding the fixture.
“From a player’s point of view it’s us against a great team, who are smart, who are tactical, who know how to buy fouls, know how to slow the game down —l like many different teams you come up against throughout your whole career,” Kane told ITV.
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