Spain secured its spot in the World Cup final for the first time in 16 years after a commanding 2-0 victory over France at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Led by Luis de la Fuente, the Spanish squad put on a dominant display, dashing France’s hopes of reaching a historic third consecutive final.
The breakthrough came in the 19th minute when Lamine Yamal was fouled in the penalty area by Lucas Digne. Mikel Oyarzabal stepped up and calmly converted the penalty, scoring his fifth goal of the tournament.
France suffered another blow shortly after when William Saliba exited due to a back injury. Spain then doubled their lead in the second half when Pedro Porro exchanged passes with Dani Olmo and finished past goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
A key to Spain’s success was their defensive masterclass, which completely neutralised Kylian Mbappé, limiting the star forward to just three attempts throughout the match. By stopping Mbappé, Spain prevented him from matching Cafu’s legendary achievement of appearing in three consecutive World Cup finals.
With this victory, Spain extended its unbeaten streak to 37 matches, tying Italy’s historic record set between 2018 and 2021. If they avoid defeat in the upcoming final, they will claim sole possession of the longest unbeaten streak in international football history.
Spain now awaits the winner of the semifinal clash between England and Argentina to determine their opponent in the championship match, which is scheduled for Sunday at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, while the third-place playoff will take place on Saturday in Miami.