Spain secured their place in the World Cup final on Tuesday after defeating France 2-0. The European champions will now compete for their second World Cup title, having previously won in 2010, this Sunday at the New York/New Jersey Stadium, where they will face the winner of the semi-final match between England and Argentina. This follows a tournament history where France had previously reached finals in 1998 and 2018.
The scoring began in the 22nd minute when Mikel Oyarzabal converted a penalty kick after Lucas Digne fouled Lamine Yamal inside the penalty area. Spain established control of the match through disciplined positional play, effectively limiting France's opportunities and dictating the tempo of the game. In the 58th minute, Pedro Porro extended Spain's lead to 2-0 following a successful one-two combination with Dani Olmo, which allowed him to finish past French goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
Throughout the tournament, Spain has maintained a strong defensive record, having conceded only one goal, while utilizing the attacking skills of winger Lamine Yamal. Despite France taking 14 shots—four of which were on target—they were unable to find the back of the net. The French side, which featured notable players including Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, and Michael Olise, missed the chance to reach their third consecutive World Cup final.
The result marks the end of the tournament for French coach Didier Deschamps, who is set to step down after 14 years in the position. France will now contest the third-place play-off against the loser of the England versus Argentina semi-final.
