Spain moved within one victory of reclaiming the FIFA World Cup crown after a commanding 2-0 victory over France in the first semifinal at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday night.
Sixteen years after lifting their maiden World Cup title in South Africa in 2010, La Roja produced another polished display to eliminate one of the tournament favourites and secure a place in Sunday’s final.
Spain controlled possession from the opening whistle, patiently building attacks while denying France the space to unleash their dangerous frontline led by captain Kylian Mbappé.
Their dominance paid off in the 22nd minute when teenage sensation Lamine Yamal burst into the penalty area and was brought down by Lucas Digne. Referee Iván Barton immediately pointed to the penalty spot, and experienced striker Mikel Oyarzabal calmly sent goalkeeper Mike Maignan the wrong way to give Spain a deserved 1-0 lead.
France tried to respond through Mbappé, who repeatedly tested the Spanish defence with his blistering pace down the left wing. One of his dangerous runs ended with a low cross flashing across the six-yard box, but none of his teammates managed to apply the finishing touch.
Ousmane Dembélé also threatened with his direct running, forcing Spain’s defenders into several last-ditch clearances, while Michael Olise and Désiré Doué combined well around the edge of the penalty area but struggled to break through Spain’s disciplined back line.
Mbappé came closest to equalising before halftime when he cut inside onto his preferred right foot and unleashed a powerful effort that was comfortably gathered by the Spanish goalkeeper. France continued to press after the restart, with Dembélé firing narrowly wide from inside the box before Mbappé saw another promising attack blocked by Marc Cucurella.
Spain absorbed the pressure and struck a decisive second goal in the 58th minute following a beautifully worked attacking move. Dani Olmo exchanged a clever one-two with Pedro Porro before slipping the ball back into the defender’s path. Porro timed his run perfectly and finished confidently beyond Maignan to double Spain’s advantage and silence the large French support.
The goal shifted the momentum firmly in Spain’s favour as Luis de la Fuente’s side continued to dominate possession and frustrate the French attack.
Spain almost added a third when Lamine Yamal rounded the goalkeeper and found the back of the net, only for the celebrations to be cut short after the assistant referee’s flag ruled him narrowly offside.
France threw everything forward during the closing stages, introducing fresh attacking players in search of a way back into the contest. Mbappé remained their biggest threat, weaving past defenders on several occasions, while Dembélé and Bradley Barcola created half-chances that were either blocked or comfortably dealt with by Spain’s organised defence.
Despite their attacking talent, Didier Deschamps’ men failed to find the breakthrough as Spain remained composed until the final whistle.
The victory sends Spain into their first FIFA World Cup final since their historic triumph in Johannesburg in 2010, where they will face either Argentina or England. France, meanwhile, must now settle for the third-place playoff after seeing their hopes of reaching a third successive World Cup final come to an end.