Spain are one victory away from reclaiming football’s biggest prize after defeating France 2-0 in Tuesday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final at Dallas Stadium.
Goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro secured Spain’s first appearance in a men’s World Cup final since they lifted the trophy in South Africa in 2010.
The European champions also ended France’s bid to become only the third country to reach three consecutive World Cup finals.
Spain took control in the 22nd minute after Lamine Yamal was fouled inside the penalty area by Lucas Digne. Oyarzabal stepped forward and calmly converted the resulting penalty, sending goalkeeper Mike Maignan the wrong way.
The goal was Oyarzabal’s fifth of the tournament and marked the first time France had fallen behind at the 2026 World Cup.
France’s problems deepened when defender William Saliba was forced off with a suspected muscle injury during the first half. Maxence Lacroix replaced him as Didier Deschamps reorganised his defence.
Despite possessing some of football’s most dangerous attackers, France struggled to unsettle Spain’s disciplined back line. Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise were repeatedly denied the space required to threaten Unai Simon’s goal.
Spain delivered the decisive blow in the 58th minute.
Porro broke into the French penalty area, exchanged passes with Dani Olmo and produced a composed finish beyond Maignan to double Spain’s advantage.
Yamal appeared to have added a third shortly afterwards, but his effort was disallowed for offside.
France pushed players forward in search of a route back into the contest, but Spain remained compact and controlled possession intelligently during the closing stages. Mbappe finished the match without registering a shot on target as the Spanish defence recorded its sixth clean sheet in seven tournament games.
The victory extended Spain’s unbeaten run in regulation time to 37 matches and placed Luis de la Fuente’s side within one win of their second men’s World Cup title.
France, meanwhile, must settle for the third-place play-off after their ambition of appearing in a third successive final ended in Texas.
Spain will face the winner of the second semi-final between defending champions Argentina and England in Sunday’s final at New York New Jersey Stadium.
