France 0-2 Spain: La Roja repeats the script and finds its rightful place in the final of the World Cup

In the big game, Spain beat France 2-0 on Tuesday in the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup and booked their place in the final. The goals were scored by Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro. It’s another victory for Spain over France – a pattern that now extends to the 2024 European Championship and the 2025 Nations League.

Kylian Mbappe was largely unknown throughout, while De la Fuente’s side dominated the competition: they dominated in the first half, stepped up their game in the second and won with a devastating attack.

France 0-2 Spain: How the game went

Two of the toughest teams in the tournament met in what many considered to be a potential final with one round to go. Spain were the only team in the tournament capable of matching France in style – and they proved it.

They were also the first team in this World Cup to beat the French, holding 55% of the ball in the first half and limiting Deschamps’ team to just two shots. France did not remain silent, however – they pressed hard everywhere and were not afraid to push their defensive lines to win the ball during the Spanish build-up, few teams had the courage to try to give the quality of La Roja by breaking the pressure.

It was Spain, however, who benefited by pressing high. They won the ball from Mike Maignan and it was in that sequence that the penalty was awarded. In the aerial competition, Lucas Digne was left alone to clear and did not see Lamine Yamal speeding up behind him, ending up kicking the young Spaniard in the thigh. Oyarzabal converted the spot kick.

Spain is on the verge of glory ??#FIFAWorldCup

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 14, 2026

Coming to the World Cup for the first time in this tournament, France had more of the ball in the second half and posed more risks – which is exactly what hurts them. They were exposed on the counter and it was from a situation like this that Porro scored the second, arriving unmarked in the box after a sharp one-two to finish beyond Maignan.

France 0-2 Spain: Mbappe, Olise and Dembele all hit the ground running in the semi final

The player who scored the most goals in this competition along with Messi, Mbappe had a bad game. He repeatedly went deep for passes but had few chances to run in behind and when those times came, he was flagged three times for offside. He didn’t register a single shot on target – only one effort was blocked outside the box – and epitomized his side’s general lack of attacking intent.

Olise had a poor game, while Dembele had one good ball on Mbappe in the first half but struggled to create consistently. Barcola was sent off after a poor performance and Doue, who replaced him, could not even provide a spark.

?? Spain have made it to the final!#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/1RUndt34uf

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 14, 2026

Spain’s dominance left the French attack with no space and clear openings. The most attacking unit in the World Cup finished the first half with two shots and only 0.04 expected goals.

Spain has advanced to the finals of the World Cup

The 2026 World Cup final will be played at MetLife Stadium next Sunday. Spain await the winners of England and Argentina – played on Wednesday – as they seek a second world title.

Meanwhile, France will face the loser of that semi-final in the third place qualifier on Saturday. After playing in consecutive finals, they will not match Germany and Brazil’s record of three consecutive finals. The feeling of the France team may be similar to the classic Brazil 1982 – the most exciting team in the tournament, the clear favorites on paper, and outside before the final.