Kha Y Tran Spain reached the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final after beating France 2-0 in the semifinal. Although France started as the favorite, Spain produced an excellent display. Mikel Oyarzabal scored from the penalty spot. Later, Pedro Porro added a second goal. As a result, La Roja reached their first World Cup final since 2010.
Watch the match highlights at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cV8QcKp3GU
Spain Take Control Early
Both teams entered the semifinal in great form. Spain had beaten Belgium in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, France advanced after defeating Morocco. Therefore, fans expected a close match.
France and Spain increased the tempo of the match right after the opening whistle (Photo: Reuters)
Spain controlled possession from the opening whistle. Rodri and Fabian Ruiz dominated midfield. At the same time, Dani Olmo and Lamine Yamal found space between the lines.
France stayed compact and looked for counterattacks. Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola tried to use their pace. However, Spain kept the ball well and limited France’s chances.
Although Spain had more possession, neither side created many clear chances during the first 20 minutes.
Oyarzabal Breaks the Deadlock
Spain finally found the breakthrough in the 22nd minute. Lucas Digne failed to clear the ball inside the penalty area. Instead, the ball hit Lamine Yamal. The referee immediately awarded a penalty. Oyarzabal stayed calm under pressure. He sent Mike Maignan the wrong way and gave Spain a deserved 1-0 lead.
Digne was slower and committed a rather rough foul on Lamine Yamal inside the penalty area (Photo: Reuters)
The goal changed the game. Soon after, France suffered another setback. William Saliba picked up an injury and had to leave the pitch after only 30 minutes. Consequently, France’s defense became less organized.
Spain continued to dominate possession. Rodri controlled the tempo, while Yamal kept causing problems on the right wing.
Before halftime, France failed to register a single shot on target.
From the penalty spot, Mikel Oyarzabal beat goalkeeper Maignan (Photo: Reuters)
France Cannot Find a Way Back
France made changes after the break. Manu Kone and Desire Doue came on to add more energy. However, the substitutions made little difference.
Spain stayed calm on the ball. Their midfield pressed well whenever France tried to attack. As a result, Les Bleus struggled to build any momentum.
Kylian Mbappe received very little service. Meanwhile, Dembele and Barcola were forced wide and rarely threatened the Spanish goal.
Goalkeeper Unai Simón made a timely save before Mbappe could take a shot at the end of the first half (Photo: Reuters)
Porro Doubles Spain’s Advantage
Spain scored again in the 58th minute. The move started with several quick passes through midfield. Dani Olmo held the ball before slipping a perfect pass to Pedro Porro.
The full-back raced into the box and finished calmly past Maignan. It was one of Spain’s best team goals of the tournament.
After taking a 2-0 lead, Spain looked fully in control.
Porro doubled Spain’s lead against France (Photo: Reuters)
Spain Defend with Confidence
Spain managed the final half-hour brilliantly. They kept possession and slowed the pace. Therefore, France spent most of the time chasing the ball. Whenever France created danger, Unai Simon remained confident. He dealt well with crosses and long-range shots.
Meanwhile, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte, and Marc Cucurella defended strongly. They rarely allowed France to create clear opportunities. Rodri also produced another outstanding performance. His passing helped Spain stay in control until the final whistle.
France pushed forward late in the game. However, their attacks lacked quality. Spain comfortably protected their clean sheet.
Mbappe is still being neutralized by the Spanish defense (Photo: Reuters)
Why Spain Won
Spain dominated the midfield throughout the match. Rodri, Fabian Ruiz, and Dani Olmo controlled possession and moved the ball quickly. Consequently, France struggled to press effectively.
Lamine Yamal also played an important role. His pace forced mistakes from the French defense. In fact, his pressure led directly to the penalty.
France never found their rhythm. Mbappe spent much of the match isolated. Furthermore, Saliba’s injury weakened the defense and disrupted Deschamps’ tactical plan.
Overall, Spain executed their game plan almost perfectly.
Lamine Yamal’s spectacular goal was disallowed due to offside (Photo: Reuters)
Standout Players
Mikel Oyarzabal
Oyarzabal converted the opening penalty with confidence. In addition, his movement created space for teammates throughout the game.
Pedro Porro
Porro impressed in both defense and attack. Most importantly, he scored Spain’s second goal with a composed finish.
Rodri
Rodri controlled the midfield from start to finish. His passing, positioning, and leadership were outstanding once again.
Lamine Yamal
Yamal did not score. However, he constantly threatened France’s defense and won the penalty that changed the match.
Spain Reach the Final Again
This victory sent Spain to their first FIFA World Cup Final since 2010. Throughout the tournament, Spain have combined strong defending with patient possession football. Against France, they once again showed why they are among the world’s best teams.
Meanwhile, France’s impressive World Cup journey came to an end. Although Les Bleus reached another semifinal, they could not match Spain’s quality on the night.
Final Thoughts
Spain fully deserved their 2-0 victory over France. Oyarzabal’s penalty gave La Roja the perfect start. Later, Pedro Porro finished a brilliant move to seal the result.
More importantly, Spain controlled almost every part of the match. They defended with discipline, passed with confidence, and created the better chances.
Now, Spain move into the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final full of confidence. If they repeat this performance, they will have a great chance to lift the trophy once again.
Read more:
Spain Edge Belgium in World Cup 2026 Quarterfinal
Mbappé Inspires Stunning France World Cup 2026 Win
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