Spain sink France to storm into FIFA World Cup 2026 final
La Roja await England or Argentina
DALLAS – European champions Spain produced a composed and clinical display to defeat France 2-0 in the first semi-final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday, ending Les Bleus' unbeaten run and securing their place in Sunday's title decider.
Mikel Oyarzabal converted a first-half penalty before Pedro Porro added a superb second after the break as Luis de la Fuente's side controlled proceedings at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The victory sends Spain into their first World Cup final since lifting the trophy in 2010, where they will face either England or Argentina.
France arrived in Dallas having won every match in the tournament and chasing a third consecutive World Cup final appearance. Instead, they were stifled by Spain's disciplined structure, intelligent pressing and commanding possession, while goalkeeper Unai Simón and the Spanish defence kept Kylian Mbappé and company largely quiet throughout the contest.
Perfect control
The opening exchanges were evenly contested before Spain took firm control through their trademark positional play. Lamine Yamal repeatedly troubled the French defence and won a penalty in the 22nd minute after being brought down inside the area by Lucas Digne.
Oyarzabal calmly converted from the spot beyond Mike Maignan to hand Spain a deserved lead. France struggled to create clear-cut opportunities as Spain dictated the tempo through midfield, with Rodri and Fabián Ruiz controlling possession and limiting the space available to Didier Deschamps' attacking players.
Second blow
Spain tightened their grip on the match in the 58th minute with a flowing attacking move. Dani Olmo exchanged passes with Pedro Porro before the defender burst into the area and finished confidently past Maignan to double La Roja's advantage.
Yamal continued to threaten and even had a goal ruled out for offside, underlining another influential display from the teenage star. France attempted to respond through Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé, but Spain's organised back line and the assured Simón ensured the European champions remained in complete control. Simón recorded his sixth clean sheet of the tournament as Spain comfortably protected their two-goal cushion.
Final awaits
The victory marks Spain's return to the World Cup final for the first time in 16 years and keeps alive their bid for a second world title after their triumph in South Africa in 2010. It also extended Spain's unbeaten run in regulation time to 37 matches dating back to March 2024.
For France, the defeat ended hopes of reaching a third successive World Cup final after knockout victories over Sweden, Paraguay and Morocco. Deschamps' side will now turn their attention to Saturday's third-place play-off, while Spain prepare for Sunday's final at New York/New Jersey Stadium, where they will meet the winners of the second semi-final between England and Argentina.