The Spanish team advanced to the 2026 World Cup final after defeating France 2-0. This success was the result of the efforts of Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro, who led the Spanish national team to the final after a 16-year break.
Semi-final match summary
The match took place at the Dallas stadium in Arlington. Spain demonstrated clear superiority from the beginning of the game. The players, under the guidance of Luis de la Fuente, controlled the ball, exerted pressure in the midfield, and practically neutralized France's strong attack.
The first goal was scored in the 22nd minute. Lamine Yamal, competing for the ball in the penalty area, outpaced Lucas Digne, and the French defender committed a foul. Mikel Oyarzabal successfully converted the resulting penalty.
Second half and attacks
The second half also remained under Spanish control. In the 58th minute, Pedro Porro created a combination with Dani Olmo and confidently shot past Mike Maignan, scoring the second goal with a score of 2-0. Shortly after, Lamine Yamal also sent the ball into the net, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
Despite having players such as Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, and Michael Olise, the French team could not pose serious problems for the Spanish defense. The French limited themselves to only two clear shots on goal throughout the match. Three attempts by Mbappé missed the target.
Results and tournament plans
After the match, Spain's coach Luis de la Fuente highly praised his team's performance. He stated that they played against one of the best teams in the world, but on this day, that team faced the best team in the world.
In the current tournament, Spain has kept a clean sheet in six out of seven matches played. Furthermore, the team's unbeaten streak in regulation time has reached 37 matches. This is a historic moment, as Spain is reaching the World Cup final for the first time since 2010 and for the second time in history.
The 2026 World Cup final will take place on July 19th in East Rutherford. Spain will play against the winner of the semi-final between England and Argentina. France, in turn, will play in the third-place match against the team that lost in the aforementioned pairing.
