This Tuesday, Spain became the first finalist of the World Cup 2026 by defeating France 2-0 at the Dallas Stadium, in a semifinal in which they imposed their possession game and neutralized the attack led by Kylian Mbappé.
The team led by Luis de la Fuente opened the scoring in the 22nd minute with a penalty converted by Mikel Oyarzabal, after an individual action by Lamine Yamal that ended in a foul inside the area. Pedro Porro extended the lead in the 58th minute, after a combination with Dani Olmo, and secured the Spanish victory.
With the advantage on the scoreboard, Spain controlled the pace of the match through possession ofl the ball and dominance of the midfield, which reduced France’s reaction options to a minimum. The French team generated few dangerous opportunities despite the offensive talent of Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise.
La Roja also showed defensive solidity to maintain the advantage until the final whistle. The match was directed by Salvadoran referee Iván Barton, one of the two Concacaf representatives designated to referee the semifinals of the tournament.
With this result, Spain will play its second World Cup final. The title match will be played on July 19 against the winner of the semifinal between Argentina and England, scheduled for this Wednesday in Atlanta. France, for its part, will play the match for third place against the loser of that semifinal.