Spain produced a composed and clinical performance to beat France 2-0 in the FIFA World Cup semi-final, securing a place in Sunday’s final and moving within one win of a second world title.
The European champions took the lead in the 22nd minute when Mikel Oyarzabal calmly converted a penalty after teenage star Lamine Yamal was fouled inside the box by Lucas Digne. Spain controlled possession and limited France’s attacking opportunities for much of the contest.
Pedro Porro doubled Spain’s advantage in the 58th minute, finishing a well-worked move with Dani Olmo to put the result beyond doubt. Despite boasting attacking stars such as Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise, France struggled to break down Spain’s disciplined defence, which recorded its sixth clean sheet in seven matches.
Spain’s unbeaten run has now stretched to 37 matches, matching Italy’s long-standing European record. The victory also marked the team’s eighth straight knockout win, underlining the consistency of Luis de la Fuente’s side on the biggest stage.
For France, the defeat ended hopes of reaching a third consecutive World Cup final. Didier Deschamps’ side will now play the third-place playoff, while Spain await the winner of the second semi-final between England and Argentina.
With youngsters like Lamine Yamal combining brilliantly with experienced players such as Oyarzabal and Dani Olmo, Spain once again showed the balance that has made them one of the tournament’s standout teams. Confident in possession and solid at the back, they now head into the final aiming to lift the World Cup trophy for the first time since their historic triumph in 2010.
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