SPAIN booked its first Fifa World Cup finals appearance since its 2010 triumph after defeating France, 2-0, on Wednesday, July 15, 2026 (PH time), the Xinhua News Agency reported.
Mikel Oyarzabal converted a first-half penalty before Pedro Porro added another after the break as La Roja continued its impressive run to set up a title showdown against either England or Argentina on Monday (PH time) at New York New Jersey Stadium.
It was only the second World Cup meeting between the two European powers. France won the first encounter 3-1 in the Round of 16 in 2006, but Spain has now beaten Les Bleus in three straight major tournament semifinals, following victories at Uefa Euro 2024 and the 2025 Uefa Nations League.
Spain broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute after Lucas Digne fouled Lamine Yamal inside the penalty area. Digne tried to clear a bouncing ball, but Yamal, who turned 19 a day earlier, darted in from behind and was clipped by the French defender, allowing Oyarzabal to convert from the spot.
France’s problems mounted in the 30th minute when central defender William Saliba was forced off through injury and replaced by Maxence Lacroix. Coach Didier Deschamps also introduced Manu Kone at halftime for Adrien Rabiot, who had been booked early in the match.
Porro doubled Spain’s advantage in the 58th minute after combining with Dani Olmo before continuing his run into the box and calmly beating goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
Yamal thought he had made it 3-0 six minutes later after latching onto a through ball, cutting inside Digne and finishing low, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
France’s best opportunity came soon after when Kylian Mbappe’s shot from the edge of the area was deflected behind for a corner that failed to produce a clear chance.
Les Bleus threatened again in the 83rd minute when goalkeeper Unai Simon rushed off his line to clear the danger. The ball fell to Desire Doue, but Simon recovered quickly to deny the forward’s attempted lob.
According to Xinhua, the victory extended Spain’s unbeaten run under coach Luis de la Fuente to 37 matches in regulation, the longest in the national team’s history.
La Roja has also scored a tournament-record 13 goals at this World Cup, while its six straight World Cup victories matched the streak it achieved during its title-winning campaign in 2010.
“It’s a dream come true. Honestly, not even in my wildest dreams,” Porro said. “We knew it was a very tough team, one that had been doing things really well. This is the team’s achievement, not mine. Congratulations to everyone because they played a fantastic match.”
France substitute Rayan Cherki lamented his side’s performance after the defeat.
“It’s a disappointment, a huge disappointment, because today we lost against ourselves,” Cherki said.
“We were beaten tactically, beaten at the root. Spain played with confidence and played the way it wanted. We didn’t play the football we like.” / LBG
