Oyarzabal and Porro strike as dominant Spain end France’s title bid, set up first final appearance since 2010 triumph

Spain delivered a commanding performance to defeat France 2-0 and book their place in the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday night at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The victory marks Spain’s return to the global showpiece final for the first time since their historic triumph in 2010, underlining their resurgence as a dominant force in world football.

Spain seized control in the 22nd minute after teenage sensation Lamine Yamal was fouled in the box by Lucas Digne. Mikel Oyarzabal stepped up and confidently converted from the spot to hand his side a deserved lead.

The European champions tightened their grip on the contest in the 58th minute, with Pedro Porro finishing off a slick one-two exchange with Dani Olmo. The well-worked goal left France chasing the game with little response.

Yamal, despite seeing a goal ruled out for offside, was a constant threat throughout the encounter. The 19-year-old’s pace and creativity unsettled the French defence, as Spain dominated possession and dictated the tempo.

At the back, Spain were equally impressive, shutting down France’s attacking trio of Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise. Goalkeeper Unai Simón stood firm once again, recording his sixth clean sheet of the tournament — a new World Cup record.

France’s defeat ends their hopes of reaching a third consecutive World Cup final, with head coach Didier Deschamps conceding that Spain were superior on the night.

Spain, meanwhile, extend their unbeaten run to 37 matches and remain firmly on track to complete a remarkable double, having already lifted the UEFA Euro 2024 title.

They will now face the winner of the second semi-final between England and Argentina in Sunday’s final, while France turn their attention to the third-place playoff.