Nigeria: Spain beat France 2-0 to reach 2026 World Cup final
By Zuleihat Owuiye, Nigeria
Spain ended France’s bid for a third World Cup title on Tuesday, delivering a composed 2-0 victory in the semi-final at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas to book a place in the final.
Goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro were enough to see off a star-studded French side that had entered the match as tournament favorites after a run of dominant performances in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The match turned in the 32nd minute when Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton awarded Spain a penalty after France left-back Lucas Digne brought down winger Lamine Yamal.
Oyarzabal stepped up and drilled the spot-kick past Mike Maignan for his fifth goal of the tournament. It was the first time France had trailed in the 2026 World Cup.
Spain’s lead was nearly doubled before halftime when a slick passing move found Fabian Ruiz, but Dayot Upamecano made a crucial intervention. France, meanwhile, struggled to create clear chances and ended the first half without a shot on target.
France’s problems deepened early in the second half when center-back William Saliba limped off with a recurrence of a lower back injury. He was replaced by Maxence Lacroix.
Spain made it 2-0 in the 58th minute with a superb team goal. Porro played a quick one-two with Dani Olmo on the edge of the box before sliding the ball past Maignan.
Didier Deschamps responded by bringing on Desire Doue, Theo Hernandez and Rayan Cherki in an effort to spark the attack, but Spain’s defense held firm. Luis de la Fuente’s side have now conceded just one goal in the entire tournament.
The defeat is a bitter blow for France, who had reached the last two World Cup finals — winning in 2018 and losing to Argentina on penalties in 2022 despite a hat-trick from Kylian Mbappe.
This semi-final was to be the last game in charge for Deschamps after 14 years as France coach. He will now oversee the third-place play-off.
Mbappe, Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise all started but were unable to break down Spain’s disciplined backline. Spain’s young winger Yamal was a constant threat, combining creativity with defensive work rate.
With the win, Spain move within one game of matching the 2010 team that won the country’s only World Cup. They will now face the winner of Wednesday’s other semi-final between England and Argentina in Atlanta.
Spain will contest the final of the first-ever 48-team World Cup on Sunday, aiming to add a second star to their badge 16 years after Vicente del Bosque’s side triumphed in South Africa.
For France, the focus shifts to the third-place match as Deschamps prepares to bow out. For Spain, the mission is clear: finish the job and bring the trophy back to Europe.
