Spain Defeats France 2-0 to Reach First Final in 16 Years

The "Invincible Armada" of Spain has dismantled France, a strong favorite for the title, to secure a ticket to the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.

Spain defeated France 2-0 in the tournament semifinal held at Dallas Stadium on July 15 (KST), fueled by an opening penalty kick from Mikel Oyarzabal and a clinching goal from Pedro Porro.

Returning to the semifinal stage for the first time in 16 years since the 2010 South Africa tournament, where they achieved their first-ever championship, Spain carried that momentum all the way to the final.

On the other hand, France, which had been on a roll with six consecutive wins since the group stage, fell to Spain just short of reaching their third consecutive final.

Spain will face the winner of the England-Argentina semifinal at New Jersey Stadium in New York on July 20 to compete for the championship trophy.

While the match began with intense pressure from both sides, it was Spain that broke the deadlock first.

In the 20th minute of the first half, a penalty kick was awarded after French defender Lucas Digne collided with the rushing Lamine Yamal while attempting to clear a cross from Marc Cucurella.

Oyarzabal, stepping up as the kicker, fired a powerful shot into the top right corner of the goal, finding the net despite goalkeeper Mike Maignan diving in the right direction.

Stunned by the early setback, France faced further misfortune in the 30th minute when key defender William Saliba was substituted early for Maxence Lacroix due to a back injury.

Struggling to build attacks against Spain's solid defensive wall, France managed only two shots (zero on target) in the first half.

France attempted a counterattack as they grew desperate, but Spain instead extended their lead with another goal.

Thirteen minutes into the second half, Porro broke through the defense with a one-two pass from Dani Olmo and calmly scored with a right-footed shot.

In the ensuing attack, Yamal found the net once more, but the goal was ruled out for offside, allowing France to narrowly escape further damage.

Trailing, France missed a golden opportunity in the 36th minute of the second half.

Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simon made a mistake while clearing the ball, nearly leaving the goal wide open, but he quickly recovered to block a shot from Desire Doue and avert a goal.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.