Spain defeats France to reach World Cup final
Spain beat France 2‑0 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on 14‑15 July. A penalty by Mikel Oyarzabal (after Lucas Digne’s foul on Lamine Yamal) opened the scoring, and Pedro Porro added a second after a one‑two with Dani Olmo. Spain dominated possession, controlled the midfield and limited France to few clear chances. French captain Kylian Mbappé later admitted the team failed to execute its game plan, while coach Didier Deschamps questioned the refereeing but accepted the defeat. France will contest the third‑place playoff, and Spain will face the winner of the Argentina‑England semifinal in the final scheduled for 19 July in New Jersey. Spanish coach Luis de la Fuente, King Felipe VI and other officials praised the victory, describing it as a tactical masterpiece.