Sports · FIFA World Cup 2026
Spain Ease Past France 2-0 to Reach the World Cup Final
Spain produced a controlled and clinical performance to beat France 2-0 in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday, booking their place in the FIFA World Cup final and ending the tournament dream of one of the pre-competition favourites. Goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro were enough to see off a French side that, for once, never got going.
The result sends La Roja back to the World Cup final for the first time since they lifted the trophy in 2010. They will now wait to discover their opponent, which will be decided when England face Argentina in the second semi-final. For a France team built around the pace and menace of Kylian Mbappe, it is a bitter and surprisingly tame exit.
Oyarzabal strikes from the spot
The decisive first blow came midway through the opening half. Spain’s 16-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal, a constant threat down the right, was fouled inside the box by Lucas Digne, and the referee pointed to the spot. Oyarzabal stepped up in the 22nd minute and calmly sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to make it 1-0. It was the Real Sociedad forward’s fifth goal of the tournament, and the strike ended a long shutout by the French, who had not conceded, nor even trailed, at any point in the competition until that moment.
France’s afternoon grew more difficult when defender William Saliba was forced off with an injury, disrupting a back line that had been among the most solid in the tournament. Even so, the expected French response never truly arrived.
France can create danger out of nothing. On Tuesday, Spain gave them nothing to work with.
Porro puts it beyond doubt
Any hopes of a French recovery were extinguished in the 58th minute. Spain worked the ball cleverly through midfield, Dani Olmo threaded it into space, and right-back Pedro Porro arrived to finish off a slick move that cut straight through a rare French defensive lapse. At 2-0, Spain had one hand firmly on a place in the final.
What followed was a masterclass in game management. Spain, so often admired for their passing, showed their defensive steel, smothering France’s attack and refusing to let Mbappe and company build any momentum. The French captain cut an increasingly frustrated figure, at one point picking up a yellow card, as his side struggled to fashion clear openings. Despite a spell of late pressure and lengthy stoppage time, the Spanish rearguard held firm to seal a deserved and comfortable victory.
Match facts
France 0 Spain 2 · FIFA World Cup semi-final, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas.
Scorers: Oyarzabal (pen, 22), Porro (58).
Final: Sunday, July 19, MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, against the winner of England vs Argentina.
A Caribbean audience on the edge of its seat
For football fans across St Vincent and the wider Caribbean, the tournament is reaching its most gripping stage, and the identity of Spain’s opponent will only sharpen the interest. The second semi-final pits England, long a favourite among Commonwealth Caribbean supporters, against an Argentina side whose flair and history command a devoted following of their own across the region. Whichever way that match falls, it promises to divide living rooms from Kingstown outward.
For now, though, the day belongs to Spain. Sixteen years after their first and only world title, they are ninety minutes from a second, having dispatched one of the tournament favourites without ever looking in serious danger. On this evidence, whoever emerges from England and Argentina will know exactly how difficult the final task will be.
END