ARLINGTON — Spain booked its place in the World Cup final for the first time since lifting the trophy in 2010 after defeating France 2-0 in Tuesday’s semifinal.
Mikel Oyarzabal converted a first-half penalty before Pedro Porro sealed victory as Spain extended its dominance over France in major tournaments and secured a place in Sunday’s final at MetLife Stadium.
La Roja will face either defending champion Argentina or England, who meet in Wednesday’s second semifinal in Atlanta.
“We gave it our all just to reach the final,” Porro said. “We knew we’re a very tough team and we’re doing things really well.”
The breakthrough came in the 22nd minute after teenage sensation Lamine Yamal won a penalty. The day after celebrating his 19th birthday, Yamal was kicked by France defender Lucas Digne inside the area as he challenged for a loose ball, allowing Oyarzabal to calmly score his fifth goal of the tournament.
Porro doubled Spain’s advantage in the 58th minute after combining brilliantly with Dani Olmo, finishing a slick one-two move to put the result beyond doubt.
Yamal thought he had added a third moments later but his effort was ruled out for offside.
Spain’s disciplined defense once again proved decisive. Goalkeeper Unai Simón recorded his sixth clean sheet of the tournament as La Roja conceded just one goal across seven matches.
The victory also extended Spain’s unbeaten run in regulation time to 37 consecutive competitive matches since March 2024, surpassing the nation’s previous record.
France, the world’s top-ranked team, saw its bid to become only the third nation to reach three consecutive World Cup finals come to an end.
The defeat also snapped Les Bleus’ six-match World Cup winning streak despite entering the semifinal as the tournament’s highest-scoring team.
Spain has now eliminated France in three consecutive major tournament semifinals, having beaten Les Bleus at UEFA Euro 2024 and in last year’s UEFA Nations League before repeating the feat on football’s biggest stage.
The 2010 champions are now one victory away from claiming their second World Cup title.
Source: Saudi Gazette