Spain booked their place in only the second World Cup final in their history with a comprehensive 2-0 win over France in Arlington on 15 July, dominating the pre-tournament favourites from start to finish at AT&T Stadium.
Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 22nd minute after Lucas Digne brought down Lamine Yamal, before Pedro Porro doubled Spain’s advantage midway through the second half with a composed finish to settle the contest. Spain will now face either England or defending champions Argentina in Sunday’s final as they chase a second World Cup title.
France never found their rhythm against a Spanish side that controlled possession throughout and conceded just one shot on target across the entire match. The result marked the first time France had trailed at any stage of the tournament, and their problems deepened in the first half when centre-back William Saliba was forced off with an injury, replaced by Maxence Lacroix in what could prove a significant blow ahead of the final regardless of Saturday’s outcome.
Spain’s second goal, arriving in the 58th minute, capped an outstanding team move. Porro exchanged passes with Dani Olmo on the edge of the box, with Olmo showing exceptional technique to cushion the return pass despite being fouled in the process, allowing the full-back to run into space left by an unmarked defensive line and finish coolly past Mike Maignan. It was Porro’s second goal of the tournament, having also scored against Austria in the round of 32.
France’s frustration was evident throughout, with Adrien Rabiot booked early and fortunate to avoid a second yellow, while a series of decisions, including an overturned free kick for a foul on Ousmane Dembele, went against them. Head coach Didier Deschamps made changes at the interval, introducing Manu Kone for the booked Rabiot, and later bringing on Theo Hernandez, Rayan Cherki and Desire Doue in search of a way back into the match, but genuine chances remained scarce. Kylian Mbappe, so influential throughout the tournament, was starved of service by a well-organised Spanish defence, managing just 15 touches in the first half compared to 44 and 45 in his two previous matches.
Spain came desperately close to a third late on when Yamal, just a day after turning 19, was flagged offside after bending a shot into the top corner following a driving run past Digne. The teenager cut a frustrated figure on several occasions but continued to work tirelessly at both ends of the pitch throughout the contest.
Unai Simon was called upon sparingly but produced a smart save to deny Dembele in stoppage time, while Marc Cucurella made a crucial last-ditch challenge to stop Mbappe from pulling a goal back in the closing minutes. France’s wait for another World Cup final continues, with the runners-up from 2022 instead facing a third-place play-off on Saturday, while Spain prepare for what would be a first World Cup triumph since 2010.
