Spain Beat France 2-0: La Roja Reach 2026 World Cup Final
ARLINGTON, Texas — Spain delivered a tactical masterclass in Texas, suffocating top-ranked France 2-0 on Tuesday night to storm into their first World Cup final in 16 years. Goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro anchored a spellbinding performance at AT&T Stadium, continuing La Roja's modern dominance over their trans-Pyrenean rivals and putting them within one match of a historic international double. From the opening whistle, Luis de la Fuente’s side pressed relentlessly and denied France the space to settle. France, chasing a historic third consecutive World Cup final appearance, looked uncharacteristically rattled. Spain controlled the tempo, moving the ball with precision more akin to an elite club side than a standard international outfit. The breakthrough arrived in the 22nd minute through opportunism. Chasing a misjudged header from French left-back Lucas Digne, 19-year-old Lamine Yamal darted across the defender in the penalty box. Digne caught the teenager on the follow-through, prompting the referee to point to the spot. Oyarzabal stepped up and drilled the penalty past Mike Maignan for his fifth goal of the tournament and his 30th international strike. It marked the first time either nation had trailed at this World Cup.  Didier Deschamps used the subsequent hydration break to regroup, but Les Bleus found no respite. Marc Cucurella nullified Michael Olise, while Ousmane Dembele faded, and skipper Kylian Mbappe was kept under wraps. Spain nearly doubled their advantage before the break when Dayot Upamecano made a desperate, last-ditch block to deny Fabian Ruiz after a misplaced clearance from Maignan. Spain finally broke French resistance for good in the 58th minute. Porro initiated a slick give-and-go with Dani Olmo, bursting free into the area to side-foot home a composed finish past Maignan. Minutes later, Yamal had a goal disallowed for a marginal offside, but the damage was already done. France finished the match with just two shots on target. "A dream come true," Porro said after the match. "To be honest, I never even imagined anything like this, not even in my wildest dreams. We did everything right against a team that was having a brilliant World Cup."  Deschamps offered no excuses for his team's exit on the eve of Bastille Day. "The players are devastated, but we have to be clear-headed: technically, we were second best," the French coach admitted. "That is on us. We lacked technical precision and energy." The victory extends Spain’s remarkable unbeaten run in regular time to 37 matches dating back to March 2024, eclipsing their previous national record set during their golden era from 2007-09. Conversely, it snapped France's record-matching streak of six consecutive World Cup knockout victories. While Didier Deschamps’ squad heads to Miami Gardens for Saturday's anti-climactic third-place match, Spain marches on to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, for Sunday’s showpiece finale. They will face either England or defending champions Argentina, who clash in Atlanta on Wednesday.
