Spain booked their place in the FIFA World Cup final with a composed 2-0 victory over France in Tuesday’s semi-final at Dallas Stadium, delivering another masterclass in control and defensive discipline.
Luis de la Fuente’s side outclassed a France team packed with attacking quality, restricting Les Bleus to very few clear-cut opportunities while taking their own chances at crucial moments. Goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro sealed a deserved victory and sent Spain into Sunday’s showpiece final.
Spain took the lead midway through the first half after a costly mistake by France left-back Lucas Digne. Attempting to clear the ball inside the penalty area, Digne instead clattered into Lamine Yamal, leaving the referee with no hesitation in awarding a penalty.
Oyarzabal stepped up and calmly dispatched the spot-kick into the bottom corner, giving Spain the breakthrough and allowing them to dictate the tempo of the contest.
France struggled to respond before the break and were expected to come out with renewed urgency in the second half. Instead, Spain continued to dominate possession and looked the more dangerous side.
Their superiority was rewarded in the 58th minute when Pedro Porro combined brilliantly with Dani Olmo in a slick one-two before finishing confidently at the near post to double Spain’s advantage.
With over 30 minutes remaining, France pushed for a way back into the match but found themselves repeatedly frustrated by Spain’s exceptionally organised defence. The Spanish backline, which has conceded only one goal throughout the tournament, once again stood firm to deny Didier Deschamps’ side any hope of a comeback.
Spain comfortably saw out the closing stages, displaying the composure, confidence and tactical discipline that have defined their World Cup campaign.
The defeat ends France’s hopes of reaching a third consecutive World Cup final. They will now turn their attention to Saturday’s third-place play-off, which also marks the end of Didier Deschamps’ remarkable 14-year reign as head coach.
Spain, meanwhile, will head to New Jersey for Sunday’s final, where they will face either England or Argentina as they chase only the second World Cup title in the nation’s history.
