Spain struck first in their FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final against France after Mikel Oyarzabal converted a first-half penalty to give La Roja a 1-0 lead at Dallas Stadium on Tuesday. The meeting between the reigning European champions and Didier Deschamps' side had been billed as one of the tournament's marquee contests, with a place in Sunday's final against either England or Argentina at stake.
The breakthrough came in the 22nd minute when a loose ball bounced inside the French penalty area. As Lucas Digne moved in to clear it, Lamine Yamal reacted first, darting across the defender to get a touch on the ball. Digne's attempted clearance arrived a fraction too late, with his high boot catching the Spanish winger instead.
Referee Ivan Barton from El Salvador, immediately pointed to the penalty spot, and a brief VAR review confirmed the decision despite a momentary appeal over a possible handball in the build-up. Under the IFAB Laws of the Game, contact with a player's arm is not deemed handball if the arm is in a natural position relative to the player's body and does not make the body unnaturally bigger. The officials ruled that the Yamal's arm met those criteria, allowing the penalty decision to stand.
Oyarzabal then stepped up and powered his penalty high beyond Mike Maignan to give Spain a 1-0 lead.
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Yamal's decisive contribution came just days after the teenager made headlines with his confident assessment of the semi-final. Ahead of the match, the Barcelona winger insisted France had more reason to fear Spain than the other way around, pointing to La Roja's recent success over Les Bleus.
"If France has to fear anyone, it's us, as we're the ones who have knocked them out before," Yamal had said after Spain's quarter-final victory, before later adding that Spain, as European champions, had earned the right to play without fear.
The latest showdown added another chapter to one of international football's fiercest modern rivalries. Spain eliminated France in the UEFA Euro 2024 semi-finals before edging them again in a thrilling 5-4 UEFA Nations League semi-final the following year.
Their latest World Cup meeting also carried added intrigue, with Barcelona star Yamal lining up against Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe in a clash between two of football's brightest talents.
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