Spain booked their place in the FIFA World Cup final for the first time in 16 years after defeating France 2-0 in Tuesday’s semifinal, with teenage sensation Lamine Yamal producing another match-winning display and Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro finding the net.
The victory sends La Roja into only the second World Cup final in the nation’s history, where they will face either defending champions Argentina or England at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
Spain took control of the contest in the 22nd minute when Oyarzabal calmly converted from the penalty spot after Yamal’s relentless pressing forced a costly error inside the French penalty area.
The 19-year-old winger, who celebrated his birthday just a day before the match, chased down a loose ball after veteran defender Lucas Digne misjudged a header. Digne attempted to clear the danger but instead caught Yamal with a late challenge after the ball had struck the teenager’s arm, prompting the referee to award a penalty.
Oyarzabal made no mistake from 12 yards, scoring his fifth goal of the tournament and handing France their first deficit of the World Cup.
Spain doubled their advantage in the 58th minute through Pedro Porro after a slick one-two with Dani Olmo carved open the French defence.
Olmo managed to return the ball to the advancing Porro moments before being bundled over by defender Dayot Upamecano, allowing the Tottenham full-back to finish clinically and put the match beyond France.
Yamal thought he had added a third goal shortly after, but his effort was ruled out following a tight offside decision.
Speaking after the victory, Porro praised Spain’s collective effort rather than individual performances.
“We gave it our all in order just to go through to the final,” Porro said.
“We knew that we’re a very tough team, we’re doing things really well. This is our team, it’s not about me.”
France, the world’s top-ranked side, had entered the semifinal hoping to become only the third nation to reach three consecutive FIFA World Cup finals. Instead, Didier Deschamps’ side will now contest Saturday’s third-place playoff in Miami Gardens.
The defeat also ended France’s six-match winning streak at the tournament, matching the nation’s longest run achieved during the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
Spain, meanwhile, continued their remarkable dominance on the international stage by eliminating France in a major semifinal for the third consecutive summer.
Yamal had inspired Spain to a 2-1 victory over France in the UEFA Euro 2024 semifinals before starring again in last year’s UEFA Nations League triumph over Les Bleus.
Ahead of this latest encounter, Yamal had boldly declared after Spain’s quarterfinal victory over Belgium that France should fear his side—a prediction that proved prophetic.
Spain were dominant throughout the contest despite facing one of the tournament’s stingiest defences.
France had conceded only two goals in six matches before the semifinal but struggled to contain Spain’s fluid attack.
The Spaniards also created several first-half chances, including an Alex Baena free-kick that struck the defensive wall after Adrien Rabiot was booked for fouling Dani Olmo.
Later in the half, Fabian Ruiz was denied from close range after France goalkeeper Mike Maignan’s misplaced clearance gifted possession to Spain.
At the other end, goalkeeper Unai Simón produced another assured performance to register his sixth clean sheet of the tournament, having conceded just one goal in seven matches.
Spain’s latest victory also extended their unbeaten run in normal time to 37 matches, comprising 28 wins and nine draws, since March 2024.
The streak sets a new national record, surpassing the previous mark of 35 consecutive unbeaten games achieved between 2007 and 2009.
With confidence soaring and history within touching distance, Spain will now bid to win a second FIFA World Cup title when they face either Argentina or England in Sunday’s final.
