Spain produced a disciplined and clinical display to defeat France 2-0 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final at Dallas Stadium on Tuesday and book their place in the final of the tournament for the first time since lifting the trophy in 2010. Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro found the net as La Roja outplayed Didier Deschamps' side, ending France's hopes of becoming just the third nation to reach three consecutive men's World Cup finals.
The opening exchanges saw both teams cautiously probe for openings before Spain struck in the 22nd minute. Lamine Yamal chased down a loose ball inside the penalty area and got there ahead of Lucas Digne, whose attempted clearance caught the teenager with a high boot. Referee Ivan Barton pointed straight to the spot, and after a brief VAR review, Oyarzabal calmly dispatched the penalty high beyond Mike Maignan to hand Spain the early lead.
France's task became even harder seven minutes later when centre-back William Saliba was forced off through injury and replaced by Maxence Lacroix. Deschamps responded with a series of attacking substitutions after the break, introducing Manu Kone, Desire Doue, Theo Hernandez and Rayan Cherki, but Spain's organised defensive shape continued to frustrate Les Bleus, with Kylian Mbappe finding little room to influence proceedings.
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Spain effectively sealed their place in the final in the 58th minute. Following another patient spell of possession, Pedro Porro timed his overlapping run to perfection before receiving the ball on the edge of the area and guiding a low finish beyond the advancing Maignan into the near corner.
Luis de la Fuente's side comfortably managed the closing stages, slowing the tempo and introducing Ferran Torres, Mikel Merino, Pedri, Marcos Llorente and Nico Williams to preserve their advantage. France failed to register a breakthrough against a composed Spanish backline, while Mbappe's frustration was evident when he picked up a late yellow card.
The result ended Spain's 16-year wait for another FIFA World Cup final and extended their recent dominance over France, having also eliminated Les Bleus in the UEFA Euro 2024 and UEFA Nations League 2025 semi-finals. It also snapped France's run of three successive knockout-stage clean sheets, with Maignan conceding for the first time since their final group stage game. Yamal, meanwhile, continued his meteoric rise by becoming the youngest player to win a penalty in a FIFA World Cup semi-final as Spain moved one step closer to a second world title.
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