Spain beat France 2-0 as goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro sent the European champions into the 2026 World Cup final.
Spain beat France 2-0 in Tuesday’s FIFA World Cup semi-final, securing their first appearance in the tournament’s final since lifting the trophy in 2010.
Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro scored the decisive goals for the reigning European champions at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Spain controlled the contest with patient possession, intelligent pressing and disciplined defending.
France’s celebrated attacking line struggled to build momentum as Spain repeatedly closed the available space.
The defeat ended France’s pursuit of a third consecutive World Cup final. France won the tournament in 2018 before finishing as runners-up in 2022.
Oyarzabal Puts Spain Ahead From the Spot
Spain started confidently and moved the ball patiently across the pitch. At the same time, they denied France the space needed to launch their familiar counterattacks.
The breakthrough arrived in the 22nd minute. Teenage winger Lamine Yamal entered the French penalty area and drew a foul.
Mikel Oyarzabal then stepped forward and calmly converted the resulting penalty. His finish gave Spain a deserved 1-0 advantage.
Yamal remained one of Spain’s most dangerous players throughout the first half. The youngster also found the net, but officials ruled out the effort for offside.
France struggled to respond despite selecting an attack featuring Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise. Spain’s midfield restricted the supply to the French forwards.
Meanwhile, the Spanish defensive line remained composed whenever France attempted to break forward.
France entered the semi-final after scoring 16 goals during the tournament. Mbappé and Dembélé ranked among the team’s leading scorers.
However, Spain neutralised both players during one of their most disciplined displays of the competition.
Pedro Porro Extends Spain’s Advantage
Spain continued to control the tempo after the interval. Their pressure produced a second goal in the 58th minute.
Pedro Porro exchanged passes with Dani Olmo before completing the well-worked move. His finish doubled Spain’s advantage and placed France under growing pressure.
Didier Deschamps’ side now needed two goals to force extra time.
Deschamps introduced fresh players as France attempted to save their World Cup campaign. However, Spain protected their lead through strong organisation and disciplined positioning.
France’s first shot on target reportedly came only during the closing stages. That statistic underlined how effectively Spain had contained one of the tournament’s most powerful attacking teams.
Goalkeeper Unai Simón and the Spanish defence stayed alert during France’s late pressure. As a result, they preserved another clean sheet.
Spain have now recorded six clean sheets in seven World Cup matches. They have conceded only once during their journey to the final.
That defensive consistency has supported the creativity provided by Yamal, Olmo and Spain’s technically gifted midfield.
Deschamps Concedes France Were Second Best
After the defeat, French coach Didier Deschamps acknowledged that Spain had produced the stronger performance.
He admitted that France made too many technical and physical errors. His team also failed to disrupt Spain’s passing rhythm.
Deschamps said his players could not produce their best football when the occasion demanded it.
The defeat is expected to end Deschamps’ long and successful spell as France’s national coach. During his tenure, France won the 2018 World Cup and reached the 2022 final.
The team also remained one of international football’s most consistent sides during that period.
However, the result continued Spain’s recent success against France in major international encounters. Spain eliminated France from the Euro 2024 semi-finals.
They also defeated the French during the 2025 UEFA Nations League.
Spain Beat France to Reach the Final
Spain will now meet the winner of the second semi-final between England and defending champions Argentina.
The World Cup final will take place on Sunday, July 19, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. France will face the losing England-Argentina semi-finalist in the third-place playoff.
For Spain, the victory marks another major step in the country’s return to the top of international football.
Luis de la Fuente’s team won Euro 2024 and now stand one victory away from becoming world champions.
The Spanish coach said his squad had recaptured some of the spirit behind the country’s historic 2010 World Cup triumph in South Africa.
Spain’s combination of experienced players, technically skilled midfielders and fearless young talent has made them one of the competition’s most complete teams.
Against France, Spain showed they could combine their traditional possession-based style with defensive strength, tactical discipline and clinical finishing.
Match Summary
France 0-2 Spain
Goals:
Mikel Oyarzabal, 22nd minute, penalty
Pedro Porro, 58th minute
Venue: Dallas Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Competition: FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final
Result: Spain advance to the World Cup final, while France enter the third-place playoff.
