2026 World Cup Action with Spain Defeating France 2-0 Qualifying for the Final

Spain confirmed their status as favorites and became the first finalist of the 2026 World Cup by defeating France 2-0 this Tuesday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.  The team led by Luis de la Fuente resolved the match with a penalty goal by Mikel Oyarzabal in the first half and a goal by Pedro Porro at the beginning of the second half to return to the title match and be one win away from winning their second World Cup.  Spain was superior from the first minutes, controlling the pace of the game and limiting the offensive options of a French team that never managed to clearly trouble goalkeeper Unai Simón. 

Mikel Oyarzabal celebrates with his teammates after scoring the opening goal.

The opening goal came in the 22nd minute. Lucas Digne fouled Lamine Yamal. Salvadoran referee Iván Barton pointed to the penalty spot, and Oyarzabal stepped up to take it. The striker fired a left-footed shot across goal and into the top corner, beating Mike Maignan and giving his team the lead.  France suffered another setback before halftime when defender William Saliba left the field with an injury and was replaced by Maxence Lacroix, forcing Didier Deschamps to alter his defensive line.

Pedro Porro celebrates his goal at AT&T Stadium in Arlington

Spain’s second goal came in the 58th minute and effectively sealed their qualification. The play originated on the right flank with a combination between Dani Olmo and Pedro Porro. The full-back found himself unmarked inside the box and finished with precision to make it 2-0.  Spain once again demonstrated the balance that has characterized them throughout the tournament. Although possession was evenly split—48% for Spain and 44% for France, with 8% of the playing time in their favor—the Spanish team managed the ball better, completing 434 of their 511 passes and registering ten shots, two of which were on target, enough to score both goals of the match. 

France tried to respond and finished with eight shots and seven corners, but only managed two shots on target. The Spanish defense once again responded with authority, and Unai Simón had few difficult saves to make throughout the match.  With this result, Spain kept their goal unbeaten for the sixth time in the World Cup, a demonstration of the defensive solidity that has accompanied Luis de la Fuente’s team throughout the competition and one of the main arguments of their campaign towards the final. 

Now, La Roja awaits the winner of the second semi-final between Argentina and England, which will be played this Wednesday.  If the Argentine team advances, the final will bring together the current champions of the two most important continental tournaments: the champion of the 2024 Copa América against the champion of Euro 2024.  However, if England qualifies, the World Cup will offer a rematch of the Euro 2024 final, when Spain won 2-1 with goals from Nico Williams and Mikel Oyarzabal to win the continental title.