Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro fire Spain past France to set up a 2026 FIFA World Cup final against either England or Argentina
Spain produced a composed and clinical display to defeat France 2-0 on Tuesday night, securing a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final and moving within one victory of lifting football’s biggest prize for a second time.
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The Spain World Cup Final dream was powered by goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro, as Luis de la Fuente’s side combined disciplined defending with incisive attacking play to end France’s bid for a third consecutive World Cup final appearance.
Oyarzabal broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute after referee Ivan Barton awarded Spain a penalty when Lucas Digne brought down Lamine Yamal inside the area.
The Real Sociedad forward calmly converted the spot kick beyond French goalkeeper Mike Maignan, registering his fifth goal of the tournament and handing France their first deficit of the competition.
Spain continued to dictate proceedings after the break and doubled their advantage in the 58th minute through Porro.
The Tottenham Hotspur defender completed a flowing passing move initiated by Dani Olmo, exchanging passes before driving a precise finish into the bottom corner to leave Didier Deschamps’ side with a daunting task.
France attempted to mount a response by introducing Désiré Doué and Rayan Cherki, while captain Kylian Mbappé remained a constant threat on the counterattack.
However, Spain’s defensive organisation frustrated Les Bleus throughout the contest, with goalkeeper Unai Simón sweeping up danger outside his area and defender Marc Cucurella producing an important challenge to deny Mbappé.
In its post-match assessment, FIFA said Spain deserved their victory after controlling key phases of the semi-final.
“Spain frustrated France at one end and punished them at the other to deservedly win their FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final,” FIFA said.
“La Roja limited Les Bleus’ chances through some flawless defending, and scored through Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro.”
The world football governing body noted that France entered the match as slight favourites but struggled to create clear-cut opportunities against Spain’s compact defensive structure.
FIFA also highlighted the decisive moment that led to Spain’s opener, praising teenager Lamine Yamal for forcing the penalty after getting to the ball ahead of Digne inside the penalty area.
Despite seven minutes of added time, France were unable to find a route back into the contest as Spain comfortably protected their two-goal advantage until the final whistle.
The victory sends Spain into Sunday’s final, where they will face the winners of Wednesday’s semi-final between England and Argentina.
Spain are chasing their second FIFA World Cup title, having won the tournament for the first time in 2010, when Andrés Iniesta scored the extra-time winner against the Netherlands in Johannesburg.
For France, attention now turns to Saturday’s third-place play-off, where Didier Deschamps’ side will seek to end their campaign on a positive note.
FIFA noted that Mbappé could still strengthen his challenge for the tournament’s Golden Boot during the bronze-medal match.
Spain’s march to the final has been built on an impressive balance of youthful flair and tactical discipline.
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With emerging stars such as Yamal complementing experienced campaigners like Oyarzabal, De la Fuente’s side now stands one match away from adding another historic chapter to Spanish football.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
