Spain have sealed their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, beating France 2-0 at the Dallas Stadium in the United States. The 2010 champions are set for their second-ever final and are now waiting to see who they will be facing.
Luis de la Fuente’s side started on the front foot today, with Marc Cucurella trying to attack from the first whistle. Kylian Mbappe and Lucas Digne tried to set up Bradley Barcola, but Pau Cubarsi showed early signs that Spanish defenders were ready to nullify all attacks.
Thanks for the submission!
Adrien Rabiot got booked in the eighth minute of the game, after catching Dani Olmo, and that saw him become extra cautious on the pitch. France were lucky to have all 11 players on the pitch, after the referee and VAR let go of a late tackle from Michael Olise on Rodri.
The winger caught him right above the ankle in the 14th minute of the match. The decision sparked a debate on social media quick enough, but the Spaniard was not injured and managed to continue playing.
Both teams were finding it hard to create chances, but a momentary lapse from Lucas Digne saw him kick Lamine Yamal, who was well aware of the swing. He leapt to get to the ball ahead of the Frenchman, and got to it with his sleeve, while the left-back kicked into his thighs.
Mikel Oyarzabal stepped up and made no mistake, smashing the ball into the left corner, despite Mike Maignan’s best efforts after guessing the right side. Things got worse for France after the hydration break, as William Saliba went off injured, with Max Lacroix coming on.
The scoreline remained intact and France were being at the break for the first time at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Spain contol FIFA World Cup semifinal vs France
Didier Deschamps sent on Manu Kone for Adrien Rabiot at half-time, to change things up, but the midfielder could not do much to affect the game. A brilliant ball from Olmo put Pedro Porro through on goal, and he slotted it past Maignan with ease, just before the hour mark.
The Spaniards thought they had a third just two minutes later, with Lamine Yamal curling one past the French goalkeeper. However, the offside flag was up, and the goal was ruled out.
Kylian Mbappe-led France kept pushing to get back in the game, but Spain stood strong and kept their clean sheet to seal their spot in the FIFA World Cup.
Edited by Sripad