Spain Outclass France 2-0 to Book Spot in FIFA World Cup 2026 Final

Arlington: Spain produced a composed and clinical performance to defeat France 2-0 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final at Dallas Stadium on Wednesday, securing their place in the tournament final.

First-half goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro proved enough for Luis de la Fuente's side to overcome the French challenge and move one step closer to a second World Cup title.

The defeat marked France's fourth World Cup semi-final loss after previous exits in 1958, 1982 and 1986. It also extended their recent struggles against Spain, having now been knocked out by La Roja in the semi-finals of Euro 2024, the 2025 UEFA Nations League and the 2026 World Cup.

It was France's first defeat in a World Cup knockout match since losing 1-0 to Germany in the 2014 quarter-finals, ending an unbeaten run of 11 knockout games that included 10 victories and one draw.

Spain will now take on the winner of the England-Argentina semi-final in the World Cup final at New Jersey Stadium. The Spaniards are aiming to lift the trophy for the second time after their historic triumph in 2010, when Andres Iniesta scored the winning goal against the Netherlands.

France began the match brightly, with Kylian Mbappe looking dangerous on the counterattack, but Spain struck first after Lamine Yamal earned a penalty when he was brought down inside the area by Lucas Digne. Oyarzabal calmly converted from the spot, beating goalkeeper Mike Maignan.

Spain doubled their advantage soon after through a superb move involving Dani Olmo and Pedro Porro. Olmo's clever return pass released Porro, who finished confidently into the bottom corner to make it 2-0.

France introduced Desire Doue and Rayan Cherki in search of a comeback, but Spain's defence stood firm. Goalkeeper Unai Simon was sharp off his line throughout the second half, while Marc Cucurella produced a crucial challenge to deny Mbappe.

As the final whistle blew, Spain celebrated a deserved victory, while France were left to regroup ahead of Saturday's third-place playoff, where Mbappe will also have the chance to strengthen his bid for the tournament's Golden Boot.

Spain have now recorded six clean sheets in seven matches at the World Cup, conceding only two goals throughout the tournament. If they go on to win the title, they could equal the record for the fewest goals conceded by a World Cup-winning team, a mark jointly held by France (1998), Italy (2006) and Spain (2010).

With inputs from IANS