Spain once again proved that it is enjoying one of the best periods in its recent history. La Roja defeated France 2-0 in the World Cup semifinal, leaving Kylian Mbappé’s team unable to respond and securing its spot in the tournament’s final for the first time since winning the title in South Africa in 2010.
The Spanish team found its path to victory thanks to a penalty kick converted by Mikel Oyarzabal and a goal by Pedro Porro in the second half, in a match where Lamine Yamal was once again a key factor, even without getting on the scoreboard.
The young forward was a key player from the start. In the 22nd minute, he set up the play that opened the scoring by cleverly anticipating Lucas Digne’s move inside the box. Digne ended up kicking him as he tried to clear the ball. Salvadoran referee Iván Barton called the penalty, and Oyarzabal didn’t waste the opportunity to put Spain ahead.
Yamal, who had just celebrated his 19th birthday the day before the match, came close to extending the lead with a goal that was disallowed due to a millimeter-thin offside call. However, Spain’s persistence paid off shortly afterward.
In the 58th minute, a give-and-go between Pedro Porro and Dani Olmo ended with Porro himself finishing the play to seal the final 2-0 score—a blow from which France could never recover.
The Spanish team controlled the flow of the match and neutralized the French side’s attempts at a comeback, a team that dreamed of becoming only the third country to reach three consecutive World Cup finals. Instead, the French will have to settle for playing in the third-place match on Saturday in Miami Gardens.
The victory also confirmed Spain’s recent dominance over its European neighbor. This is the third consecutive summer that Spain has eliminated or defeated France in a semifinal of a major tournament. First came the 2-1 win at the 2024 European Championship, then the thrilling 5-4 victory in the Nations League, and now a solid 2-0 win at the World Cup.
Lamine Yamal’s comments after eliminating Belgium in the quarterfinals—when he said France should be worried about Spain—ended up being a self-fulfilling prophecy.
With their spot in the final secured, La Roja will seek to win their second World Cup title when they face the winner of the other semifinal between Argentina and England next Sunday, while France and Kylian Mbappé will have to shift their focus and fight to finish the tournament in third place.
