Spain are through to the 2026 World Cup final after dismissing tournament favourites France 2-0 in Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on July 14, 2026, with Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro scoring either side of half-time to end Kylian Mbappé’s hopes of lifting the trophy and likely the Golden Boot.
How Spain Controlled the Semi-Final
The opening goal came early, Oyarzabal – the Real Sociedad forward who has been Spain’s most reliable finisher throughout this tournament – converting a penalty after imminent Paris Saint-Germain signing Lucas Digne took out Lamine Yamal in a clumsy challenge early in the first half. France never truly recovered, failing to register a shot on target in the entire first half and losing William Saliba to injury before the interval. New Real Madrid signing Ibrahima Konaté did not come off the bench.
Aurélien Tchouameni returned from a thigh strain to start in midfield for France, but Rodri and Fabián Ruiz dominated that battle. Despite Tchouameni finishing with 88% pass accuracy, he completed just three passes into the final third – a statistic that captures France’s broader struggles to create anything meaningful in the first 45 minutes.
The second goal came in the second half, Pedro Porro burst from right-back, combined with Dani Olmo through the middle, and finished with a deft touch past Mike Maignan. Mbappé’s best response was a shot from a tight angle on 67 minutes that crept inches wide; he also dragged a free-kick over the bar in the 89th minute. His only notable involvement late on was a yellow card for an elbow on Unai Simón. La Fábrica product Marcos Llorente came on for the final seven minutes, replacing Porro.
Cucurella the Defensive Standout
Marc Cucurella was key to the shutdown of the French attack, tasked with stopping Michael Olise down France’s right-flank. He picked up a yellow card early for two fouls in quick succession but won five duels and made a crucial intervention in injury time to deny Mbappé a clear run at goal. His name will be all over the build-up to Sunday’s final.
Spain’s path to this point has been built on a similar combination of tactical discipline and individual quality, evident as far back as their opening fixture and sustained through the quarter-final against Belgium.
What Happens Next
Spain will face either England or Argentina in Sunday’s final in New Jersey, with that semi-final to be played on Wednesday in Atlanta. France, including Real Madrid’s contingent among their squad, drop into the third-place playoff on Saturday in Miami.
