Spain halt France’s World Cup bid with dominant semifinal victory
Goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro seal 2-0 win in Arlington, ending Didier Deschamps’ team’s hopes of a historic third consecutive final appearance.
Spain have advanced to the FIFA World Cup final after defeating France 2-0 in their semifinal clash at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday. The result marks the third consecutive victory for Luis de la Fuente’s side against France, following triumphs in the 2024 European Championship and the 2025 UEFA Nations League semifinals. The win also extinguishes France’s ambition to become only the second nation, alongside West Germany and Brazil, to reach three consecutive World Cup finals.
Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring in the first half, converting a penalty after a foul on Lamine Yamal inside the area. Spain maintained control of the match, limiting the influence of French stars Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, and Michael Olise. France’s hopes of overturning a deficit were further dented in the 30th minute when centre-back William Saliba was substituted with a back injury and replaced by Maxence Lacroix.
Trailing 1-0 at the interval, France faced a rare historical hurdle, as only two teams in World Cup semifinal history had ever won after being behind at half-time. Didier Deschamps introduced Manu Koné and Désiré Doué in an attempt to shift the momentum, but Spain’s pressing and goalkeeper Unai Simón’s key saves preserved the lead. Pedro Porro doubled Spain’s advantage early in the second half, finishing past Mike Maignan following a fluid team move.
The defeat brings an end to the tournament for Kylian Mbappé, who finishes level with Lionel Messi on eight goals in the race for the Golden Boot. Harry Kane sits on six goals, with both he and Messi able to extend their tally in Wednesday’s remaining semifinal. Frustration boiled over for Mbappé in the 86th minute when he collided with Simón, resulting in a yellow card for the Real Madrid striker.
Spain now draw level with Italy for the most consecutive games without a loss, extending their unbeaten run to 37 matches. They will face either England or Argentina in the final on 19 July in East Rutherford. France are scheduled to play in the third-place match in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Saturday against the loser of the England-Argentina fixture.
