By Ghazali Ibrahim
Spain booked their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final after a commanding 2-0 victory over France in Tuesday’s semi-final, ending Les Bleus’ title hopes and moving within one win of lifting football’s biggest prize for a second time.
The Spaniards delivered a composed performance at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, with Mikel Oyarzabal opening the scoring from the penalty spot in the first half after Lamine Yamal was brought down inside the box.
Spain doubled their advantage after the break through Pedro Porro, whose well-taken finish capped another flowing attacking move and left France with a mountain to climb.
Despite boasting stars such as Kylian Mbappé, France struggled to break down Spain’s disciplined defence and were repeatedly frustrated by the 2010 champions, who controlled possession for long spells and created the better scoring opportunities throughout the contest.
The victory sends Spain into their first World Cup final since triumphing in South Africa in 2010 and underlines the resurgence of a side built around a blend of experienced campaigners and emerging talents.
Spain will now face the winner of Wednesday’s second semi-final between England and Argentina in Sunday’s final, while France will take on the loser of that encounter in the third-place playoff.
The result also extends Spain’s impressive run at the tournament, having eliminated Portugal in the Round of 16 before overcoming Belgium in the quarter-finals en route to the last four.
For France, the defeat marks a disappointing end to their bid for a third World Cup title.
Didier Deschamps’ side had entered the semi-final after victories over Paraguay and Morocco in the knockout rounds but were unable to match Spain’s intensity and clinical finishing when it mattered most.
Meanwhile, with this defeat, France will no longer outlived fans hope of repeating the final face-off with Argentina.
Spain will now aim to complete their remarkable campaign by capturing the World Cup for the first time in 16 years, while France must regroup ahead of the third-place match.
