Spain are through to the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a composed 2-0 win over France in Tuesday’s semi-final at Dallas Stadium.
La Roja delivered another assured display to end France’s campaign and book only the second World Cup final appearance in their history since lifting the trophy in South Africa in 2010.
Spain made the brighter start and took the lead in the 22nd minute after Lamine Yamal won a penalty. Mikel Oyarzabal stepped up and calmly sent Mike Maignan the wrong way to give Luis de la Fuente’s side the breakthrough.
France struggled to respond before the halftime break and suffered another setback when defender William Saliba limped off injured before half-time, forcing Didier Deschamps into an early defensive reshuffle.
Deschamps introduced fresh legs after the restart, but Spain tightened their grip on the match. Pedro Porro capped a flowing move in the 58th minute, exchanging passes with Dani Olmo before finishing confidently beyond Maignan to double Spain’s advantage.
France pushed for a way back into the game, with Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and Aurelien Tchouameni all going close. Unai Simon, however, remained equal to every test as Spain held firm at the back.
Mbappe also picked up a late yellow card as France’s frustration grew, while Spain comfortably saw out seven minutes of added time to complete a deserved victory.
The result means Spain have kept six clean sheets in seven matches at the tournament and will now face either England or Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.
On the other hand, the outcome of the game marks a disappointing end to France’s campaign and the first World Cup final since 2018 that will not feature Les Bleus. The defeat also came on a landmark occasion for Deschamps, who became the first coach to manage 26 World Cup matches.
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