Match Report: France 0-2 Spain

Spain produced an outstanding performance to beat France 2-0 on Tuesday and book their place in the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

A first-half penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal and a well-taken second-half goal from Pedro Porro secured victory for the European champions, who will now face either Argentina or England in Sunday’s final.

France arrived as one of the favourites to win the tournament after an impressive run to the semi-finals, but they were unable to break down a disciplined and organised Spanish side.

Spain took control from the opening whistle, with Rodri, Fabián Ruiz and Dani Olmo dominating midfield and preventing France from settling into the game.

The first sign of France’s frustration came after nine minutes when Adrien Rabiot was shown a yellow card for a late challenge on Olmo.

Despite Spain’s control, France almost struck first in the 16th minute, but Pau Cubarsí made a brilliant last-ditch block to stop Kylian Mbappé from getting a clear shot on goal.

Spain’s pressure finally paid off in the 22nd minute. Marc Cucurella overhit a cross but Lucas Digne caught Lamine Yamal while attempting to hook the ball clear. The referee immediately pointed to the penalty spot, and Oyarzabal calmly hit the ball past Mike Maignan to give Spain the lead.

Mikel Oyarzabal has now scored 18 goals in his last 20 games for Spain, and his penalty made him the sixth man to reach 30 goals for La Roja.

France suffered another setback just after the half-hour mark when central defender William Saliba was forced off with an injury and replaced by Maxence Lacroix.

Spain almost doubled their lead before half-time after a brilliant passing move involving Rodri, Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo, but Dayot Upamecano made a vital block to stop Fabián Ruiz’s goal-bound effort.

France improved towards the end of the first half and nearly equalised, but Unai Simón reacted quickly to intercept Mbappé after an excellent through ball from Rabiot, leaving Les Bleus with zero shots on target throughout the first half.

Spain continued to control the match after the restart and doubled their lead in the 58th minute. Pedro Porro played a one-two with Dani Olmo on the edge of the penalty area before the Tottenham defender calmly finished past Maignan.

Spain thought they had scored a third goal moments later when Yamal found the net, but the effort was ruled out for a marginal offside.

Didier Deschamps introduced several substitutes in an attempt to change the game, but France struggled to create clear chances against Spain’s well-organised defence.

Spain comfortably saw out the closing stages to secure a deserved victory and reach their second FIFA World Cup final, where they will bid to win the trophy for the first time since 2010.

France’s hopes of lifting a third World Cup title may be over, but Didier Deschamps’ side can still reflect on another impressive tournament. Having reached the semi-finals with a series of commanding performances, Les Bleus will now turn their attention to Saturday’s third-place play-off, where they will look to finish their campaign on a high by securing the bronze medal.

Spain recorded their sixth clean sheet in seven matches at the tournament and have conceded only one goal so far. Should they go on to lift the trophy without conceding, they would break the World Cup record for the fewest goals conceded by a champion which currently stands at two, jointly held by France (1998), Italy (2006) and Spain (2010).