Spain defeated tournament favourites France in a one-sided match with 2-0 goals and secured a place in the FIFA World Cup final.
Spain executed a flawless tactical plan and ended France’s hopes of lifting a third world title. Consequently, Spain advanced to Sunday’s final in New Jersey, where they will face either Argentina or England.
Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring from the penalty spot during the first half. Later, Pedro Porro doubled Spain’s advantage in the 58th minute with a composed finish. Moreover, Spain’s organised defence and dominant midfield prevented France from creating sustained pressure throughout the contest.
France entered the semi-final with great confidence after an impressive tournament. However, Spain neutralised the dangerous attacking quartet of Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola and Michael Olise. Rodri controlled the midfield brilliantly, while Fabian Ruiz and Dani Olmo provided constant support to overwhelm France’s central players.
Spain dictated possession from the opening whistle and earned their breakthrough in the 20th minute. Marc Cucurella delivered a cross into the penalty area before Lucas Digne fouled Lamine Yamal while attempting to clear. Referee Ivan Barton awarded a penalty immediately. Oyarzabal calmly converted the spot-kick despite Mike Maignan diving correctly.
France suffered another setback when central defender William Saliba left the field injured after 31 minutes. Nevertheless, Spain continued attacking and nearly doubled their lead before halftime. France briefly improved late in the first half, but goalkeeper Unai Simon denied Mbappe with an outstanding save.
After the interval, Spain quickly regained control of the match. Subsequently, Porro combined neatly with Olmo before finishing confidently beyond Maignan. Spain almost added a third goal shortly afterward, but an offside decision ruled it out.
Although Didier Deschamps introduced several substitutions, France failed to break Spain’s compact defence. Mbappe’s late effort was blocked by Simon before frustration earned the captain a booking. Eventually, Spain comfortably protected their lead and celebrated a memorable victory to book their place in the World Cup final.
