ARLINGTON, Texas. The Spanish national team made a statement by defeating France 2-0 this Tuesday at AT&T Stadium, qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, where they will face the winner of the semifinal between England and Argentina.
The team led by Luis de la Fuente delivered a solid collective performance to stop a France side led by Kylian Mbappé, which could not find a way to break through the Spanish defensive order and bid farewell to the tournament in the semi-finals.
Spain opened the scoring in the 22nd minute thanks to Mikel Oyarzabal, who converted a penalty won by a great play from Lamine Yamal. The Real Sociedad forward thus scored his fifth goal of the tournament and set La Roja on the path to victory.
In the second half, when a French reaction was expected, it was Spain that struck again. In the 58th minute, Pedro Porro finished off an excellent combination with Dani Olmo to score with class against goalkeeper Mike Maignan and establish the final 2-0.
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The Spanish team dominated the match with tactical discipline and a collective game that neutralized the offensive talent of France, considered one of the most dangerous teams in the tournament.
The match brought together 70,176 spectators and was preceded by a minute of silence in tribute to the victims of the Nice attack and the passing of the former Emir of Qatar, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.
With this victory, Spain will play in the 2026 World Cup final in search of winning its second world title, while France and Mbappé see their dream of reaching a new crown frustrated.
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Goals
- 22′ Mikel Oyarzabal (penalty) 0-1.
- 58′ Pedro Porro 0-2.
Match summary
France 0-2 Spain
Stadium: AT&T Stadium, Arlington (Texas).
Referee: Iván Barton (El Salvador).
Booked: Adrien Rabiot, Kylian Mbappé (France); Marc Cucurella (Spain).
Attendance: 70,176 spectators.
