Spain is the first finalist of the 2026 World Cup . With a goal in each half (Oyarzabal from the penalty spot and Pedro Porro) they defeated France and now await the winner of the match between England and Argentina.
De La Fuente's team defeated the Blues at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, by a score of 2-0 . The French thus missed out on what would have been their third consecutive final, following those in 2018 against Croatia, which they won, and in 2022 against Argentina, which they lost.
First half
After a balanced start with no chances, just before the hydration break , a naivety from Digne effectively gave the Iberian team the lead. The French full-back went to clear the ball into the penalty area but didn't see Lamine Yamal approaching and kicked him. The penalty was inevitable, converted by Oyarzabal in the 22nd minute .
Deschamps was forced to substitute Saliba after half an hour, who was struggling with a muscle injury, and replaced him with Lacroix. Spain, though blunt, was a master of possession and solid in defense, having conceded only one goal in this World Cup. It was therefore difficult for the French to unleash their top players, and Deschamps' team's response was halted by an unpretentious long-range shot from Barcola.
Indeed, it was Spain who came very close to doubling their lead with a wonderful run in the tight spaces following a misplaced clearance by Maignan: Dani Olmo back-heeled the ball to Yamal, who then crossed to the onrushing Fabian Ruiz, who simply had to tap it into the net, where Upamecano's deflection proved providential. At the end of the half , France managed to launch Mbappé towards goal , but Unai Simon did a brilliant job of coming out from the three-quarter line to beat the tournament's joint-top scorer (along with Messi).
Second half
In the second half, the story didn't change; in fact, it got worse for the Blues. France never managed to create any real danger with their attacking aces, while Spain, already excellent at maneuvering in tight spaces and led by the "professor" Rodri in midfield, became even more dangerous when the space opened up. Deschamps brought on Doué for Barcola, but his team immediately capitulated again: a wonderful one-two between Pedro Porro and Dani Olmo, with Porro finding himself one-on-one with Maignan and beating him. In the 58th minute, it was 2-0 , and just two minutes later, Lamine Yamal's third goal was ruled out for a mere millimeter offside.
France pushes forward, but De La Fuente's team doesn't concede. Mbappé tries twice to open up opportunities, but only gets a shot from a tight angle easily saved by Unai Simon and a free kick that doesn't yield any results. Spain comes close to making it 3-0 again in the 78th minute with a header from substitute Ferran Torres that goes just wide. The French team's biggest chance comes in the 81st minute, when Unai Simon, coming out high, anticipates Mbappé but unintentionally plays it to Doué, who shoots too late and poorly, allowing the Spanish goalkeeper to recover. There's also an interesting free kick in the 89th minute, but Mbappé fires it wide. France's last, desperate attacks produce nothing significant. And so, after seven minutes of added time, Spain can celebrate.
The final
Spain now awaits the winner of Wednesday night's match between Argentina and England. On Sunday, they will play their second World Cup final and will be chasing their second title. They won their first and only final, in 2010, against the Netherlands.
(Unioneonline/L)