Sports Desk, Daily Agrabarta
Spain have booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final, producing a controlled and clinical performance to beat France 2-0 in the first semi-final at Dallas Stadium on Tuesday. Goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro were enough to see off a French side many had installed as slight favourites heading into the match, sending La Roja to their first World Cup final since they won the tournament in 2010.
Yamal Wins the Penalty That Broke the Deadlock
The breakthrough came midway through the first half, and it was 19-year-old Lamine Yamal, just a day after his birthday, who made it happen. Yamal got to the ball ahead of Lucas Digne inside the penalty area and was clipped as he went past, leaving the referee no choice but to award a penalty. Mikel Oyarzabal stepped up and sent Mike Maignan, a specialist penalty-saver, the wrong way to give Spain the lead in the 22nd minute.
Spain doubled their advantage in the 58th minute through a slick move down the right. Pedro Porro exchanged passes with Dani Olmo in a swift one-two, and the return ball was finished cleanly into the bottom corner to make it 2-0, effectively settling the contest with more than half an hour still to play.
A Defensive Wall That Refused to Break
What made the result particularly striking was who it happened to. France arrived in Dallas with arguably the most feared attacking unit left in the tournament, built around Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise and Désiré Doué. Spain restricted that quartet to just 10 shots and a expected-goals value of only 0.26 for the entire match, numbers that reflect just how well-marshalled the Spanish defence was throughout.
It continued a remarkable defensive record for Spain across the tournament. Coming into the semi-final, they had conceded only a single goal in six previous matches, group stage and knockouts combined, with Belgium’s quarter-final strike the solitary blemish on an otherwise spotless record.
Mbappé Reflects on a Frustrating Night
Speaking after the match, Kylian Mbappé pointed to his side’s own mistakes rather than any lack of effort, acknowledging that Spain had controlled the game and made France pay for its errors. It capped a difficult night for the Frenchman, who had entered the semi-final level with Lionel Messi at the top of the Golden Boot standings on eight goals each, only to be shut out completely by a Spanish defence in imperious form.
Old Rivals, Rare Meeting
Tuesday’s clash was the 39th meeting between Spain and France in football history, a rivalry stretching back to 1922, yet remarkably only the second time the two nations had faced each other at a World Cup. Their previous meeting on this stage came in the 2006 round of 16, when France won 3-1. With this result, Spain’s overall head-to-head record improves to 14 wins to France’s 18, with seven draws between them.
What’s Next
Spain now await the winner of Wednesday’s second semi-final between Argentina and England in Atlanta, with the World Cup final scheduled for Sunday, July 19, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. France, meanwhile, will play in Saturday’s third-place playoff in Miami against the loser of the Argentina-England tie.
