Spain beats France 2-0 to book first World Cup final berth since 2010
Oyarzabal penalty and Porro finish sink disjointed France in Dallas; Deschamps questions referee while admitting inferiority.
Spain overwhelms France in Dallas
Spain secured a spot in the 2026 World Cup final with a commanding 2-0 victory over France at Dallas Stadium. Mikel Oyarzabal converted a 22nd-minute penalty after Lucas Digne fouled Lamine Yamal, and Pedro Porro doubled the lead in the 58th minute with a cool finish following a one-two with Dani Olmo. The European champions controlled possession and neutralized France's attack, which managed only a handful of tame efforts. Kylian Mbappé had two shots saved in quick succession after the second goal, but France never threatened a comeback. Spain will now face the winner of England vs Argentina in the final on Sunday, 19 July.
Deschamps admits inferiority, questions referee
Didier Deschamps accepted that his team was second best but also directed pointed criticism at Salvadoran referee Iván Barton. "I will ask a question, without answering it. Was the referee at the level needed to officiate a World Cup semifinal? And I'm not saying this because we lost today. There were several phases, often to our disadvantage, that raised questions for me," Deschamps said. He stressed, however, that the primary reason for the defeat was France's own performance.
We were a level below, especially technically, against a team that managed the game perfectly. First of all, it's our fault.
Penalty and injury derail France early
The match turned in the 20th minute when Digne, under little pressure, attempted a back-pass but clipped Yamal inside the area. Barton immediately pointed to the spot, and Oyarzabal sent Mike Maignan the wrong way. France's troubles deepened six minutes later when centre-back William Saliba pulled up with a muscular problem and was replaced by Maxence Lacroix. Spain nearly made it 2-0 before the break, but Fabián Ruiz's shot was blocked after a flowing move involving Olmo and Yamal.
Second-half control and the killer goal
Deschamps introduced Manu Koné for Adrien Rabiot at halftime and later brought on Désiré Doué, but the changes brought no improvement. Spain continued to dictate play, and the decisive second goal arrived just before the hour mark. Porro played a one-two with Olmo, burst into the box unchallenged, and slotted the ball past Maignan. A Lamine Yamal goal was disallowed for offside moments later, but the outcome was no longer in doubt. Spain saw out the remainder with composure, giving France little room to respond.
- Lucas Digne fouls Lamine Yamal; penalty awarded
- Mikel Oyarzabal scores the penalty to make it 1-0
- William Saliba injured, replaced by Maxence Lacroix
- Fabián Ruiz misses a chance to double Spain's lead
- Spain leads 1-0; France yet to register a quality chance
- Pedro Porro finishes a one-two with Dani Olmo for 2-0
- Lamine Yamal goal disallowed for offside
- Spain wins 2-0 and advances to the final
Third-place task and the final ahead
Deschamps, who is widely expected to step down after the tournament, will now prepare his squad for the third-place match. "I will prepare the game together with my players with the aim of ending the tournament in the best possible way. We didn't manage to reach the final and the disappointment is huge, but that does not cancel out everything we did well in this World Cup," he said. Spain, meanwhile, can aim for a second world title, 16 years after their triumph in South Africa. The final is scheduled for 19 July at 22:00 local time, with the opponent determined in Wednesday's semifinal between England and Argentina.
