Spain defeat France 2-0 to reach World Cup final
Spain have secured a spot in the World Cup final after defeating France 2-0 in Dallas. Goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro sealed the victory for the European champions, who will now face either England or Argentina in the final on Sunday.
The semi-final match saw Spain deliver a strong performance against a France team that struggled to find its rhythm. Oyarzabal opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 22nd minute after Lucas Digne fouled Lamine Yamal. Porro then doubled Spain‘s lead in the 58th minute, completing a team move.
France, despite featuring key players like Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, failed to convert their opportunities. The team managed only two shots, none of which were on target, by the time Porro scored the second goal. Michael Olise, who had been a top creator in the tournament with five assists, was substituted in the 72nd minute after an ineffective performance, creating only two chances and failing to complete either of his two dribbles.
Spain’s Dominance and France’s Struggles
Spain‘s victory marks their third consecutive win against France in major tournament semi-finals, having previously beaten them in the Euro 2024 semi-finals and the Nations League semi-finals in 2025. This latest win extends Spain‘s unbeaten run to 37 matches across all competitions, a joint-record for a European nation.
Luis de la Fuente, Spain‘s coach, praised his team, stating that they faced one of the best national teams in the world but proved to be the superior side. He highlighted the commitment, solidarity, generosity, and talent of his players, noting their ability to make difficult tasks appear easy. Spain is now positioned to potentially achieve a Euros-World Cup double, a feat last accomplished at the 2010 World Cup.
For France, the defeat was a significant setback. Coach Didier Deschamps attributed the loss primarily to technical errors and a failure to be dangerous enough in attack. He acknowledged that the team was below its usual technical level against a Spain side that controlled the game. Deschamps noted that the players were devastated, having harbored high ambitions for the tournament.
The match also saw an injury to William Saliba in the 30th minute, who was replaced by Maxence Lacroix. Other notable moments included Lamine Yamal having a goal disallowed for offside in the 61st minute, and Ferran Torres missing a headed chance in the 79th minute. Unai Simon made an error in the 81st minute, sending a headed clearance to Desire Doue, whose shot was then saved by the scrambling goalkeeper.
Looking Ahead
France will now participate in a third-place play-off on Saturday, an outcome described as an underwhelming conclusion to Didier Deschamps‘ 14-year tenure. The team’s performance in Dallas was a stark contrast to their earlier form in the tournament, where they had maintained clean sheets in their three knockout games leading up to the semi-final.
Meanwhile, Spain will prepare for the World Cup final in New York/New Jersey, aiming to secure their second star. The team’s consistent performance and tactical discipline have been key throughout the tournament, culminating in this decisive victory over France.
Among the Spain squad, Barcelona players were quick to celebrate their advancement. Gavi, an unused substitute in the match, posted on Instagram with teammates Ferran Torres, Pedri, Eric Garcia, and Fabian Ruiz, expressing excitement for the final. Pau Cubarsi, Dani Olmo, and Lamine Yamal were the Barcelona players who started the match against France.
The final match will be held on Sunday.
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Source: skysports.com
