Spain have secured a place in the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after beating France 2-0 in Tuesday’s semi-final at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
La Roja produced a composed performance to end France’s hopes of reaching a third consecutive World Cup final.
Mikel Oyarzabal gave Spain the lead in the 22nd minute after calmly converting a penalty awarded for a foul by Lucas Digne on teenage star Lamine Yamal.
The goal was Oyarzabal’s fifth of the tournament and marked the first time France had fallen behind in this year's World Cup.
Spain doubled their advantage in the 58th minute through Pedro Porro, who finished off a brilliant team move after combining neatly with Dani Olmo.
Despite introducing attacking options in the second half, France struggled to create clear-cut chances against Spain’s disciplined defence.
Goalkeeper Unai Simón also played a key role, sweeping up danger outside his box, while Marc Cucurella produced an important challenge to deny Kylian Mbappé.
Spain managed the closing stages confidently to seal a deserved victory and book their place in Sunday's final.
They will now face the winner of Wednesday’s second semi-final between England and Argentina.
The victory also gives Spain the opportunity to win their second FIFA World Cup title, having lifted the trophy for the first time in South Africa in 2010.
France, meanwhile, will now compete in the third-place playoff on Saturday, with captain Kylian Mbappé still in contention for the tournament’s Golden Boot.
In its post-match report, FIFA praised Spain’s display, saying the European champions frustrated France defensively and were clinical in attack.
According to the world football governing body, Spain controlled the game with disciplined defending and well-worked goals, earning a deserved place in the tournament’s showpiece final.
La Roja will now aim to make history by lifting the World Cup trophy for the second time when they take to the field in Sunday's final.
