France 0-2 Spain: Oyarzabal and Porro Send Spain into the World Cup Final
Match Details
- Competition: FIFA World Cup 2026, Semi-Final
- Date: 14th July 2026
- Venue: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
- Final Score: France 0 - 2 Spain
- Half Time: France 0 - 1 Spain
- Goalscorers: Oyarzabal 22' pen, Porro 58' (Spain)
- Referee: Ivan Barton (El Salvador)
Match Stats & Key Metrics
| France | Spain | |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 49% | 51% |
| Shots | 10 | 15 |
| Shots on target | 3 | 2 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 0.31 | 1.63 |
| Pass accuracy | 84% | 85% |
| Goalkeeper saves | 0 | 3 |
| Fouls conceded | 11 | 12 |
The Story of the Match
SPAIN produced a controlled and clinical performance to beat France 2-0 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington and book their place in the World Cup final, with Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro the men on the scoresheet.
The tie turned on a moment of brilliance from Lamine Yamal midway through the first half. The young winger drove into the France penalty area and was caught by Lucas Digne, and referee Ivan Barton pointed to the spot without hesitation. Oyarzabal stepped up and sent Mike Maignan the wrong way to give Spain the lead after 22 minutes, the striker's fifth goal of the tournament and his 30th in 60 appearances for his country.
France, semi-finalists once again, struggled to lay a glove on a Spanish side who kept the ball with their usual patience and rarely allowed Kylian Mbappe and the French forwards a sight of goal. Spain went in at the break a goal to the good and fully deserving of their lead.
The second goal that Spain craved arrived after 58 minutes and it was a beautifully worked one. Porro exchanged passes with Dani Olmo on the right and continued his run into the box before side footing calmly past Maignan to double the advantage. Yamal thought he had a third moments later, only for the effort to be ruled out by a very tight offside call.
France never found a way back into the contest against a Spain side who suffocated their attack and defended their box with real discipline. It was a third tournament semi-final win in a row for Spain over France, and Luis de la Fuente's men march on to the final in New Jersey with the look of worthy champions.
Timeline of Key Events
- 22' - GOAL SPAIN: Yamal is fouled by Digne and Oyarzabal converts the penalty for 1-0.
- 45' - Spain reach half time in complete control and a goal to the good.
- 58' - GOAL SPAIN: Porro plays a one-two with Olmo and finishes past Maignan for 2-0.
- 60' - Yamal has the ball in the net again but is ruled narrowly offside.
- 90+' - Spain see out the closing stages to reach the World Cup final.
Author's Standout Players
- Lamine Yamal (Spain) - Tormented the France defence, won the penalty for the opener and was denied a goal by the narrowest of offside calls.
- Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain) - Ice cool from the spot for his fifth goal of the World Cup to set Spain on their way.
- Pedro Porro (Spain) - Timed his run perfectly and finished with composure for the decisive second goal.
- Dani Olmo (Spain) - Pulled the strings in midfield and supplied the clever pass for Porro's goal.
William Powell
FWA Life Member · Sports Journalist since 1987
William Powell has covered football and cricket at the highest level for nearly four decades. A Life Member of the Football Writers' Association, his writing combines deep tactical knowledge with the narrative flair of the best sports journalism.
Related Articles
