Oyarzabal, Porro score as Spain outclass France to reach World Cup final
Spain defeated France 2-0 to book their place in the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
A first-half penalty by Mikel Oyarzabal and a second-half strike from full-back Pedro Porro were enough to seal a comprehensive victory for Luis de la Fuente’s men on Tuesday at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Spain imposed their signature possession-based style throughout the highly anticipated semifinal, leaving Didier Deschamps’ side chasing shadows for most of the encounter.
France opted for a disciplined defensive block early on, relying on the blistering pace of Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele on the counter-attack. However, Spain’s relentless pressure soon broke the French resistance.
In the 21st minute, Spain won a crucial penalty after Lucas Digne smacked Lamine Yamal inside the box. Oyarzabal stepped up a minute later and expertly sent Mike Maignan the wrong way to give Spain the lead.
A few minutes later, things went from bad to worse for Les Bleus when star centre-back William Saliba was forced off with an injury and replaced by Maxence Lacroix.
France attempted to claw their way back after the interval, with Deschamps throwing on Manu Kone and Desire Doue to inject creative energy into the midfield. Despite their patient build-up, clear-cut chances remained elusive against a watertight Spanish defence anchored by Aymeric Laporte and Pau Cubarsi.
Spain effectively put the game to bed in the 58th minute. Pedro Porro initiated a fluid team move, driving forward to link up with Dani Olmo. Olmo returned a precise lay-off, allowing the marauding full-back to fire home a crisp right-footed strike past Maignan.
With this victory, Spain now await the winners of the second semifinal between England and Argentina to determine who lifts the coveted World Cup trophy at the MetLife Stadium on Sunday.