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The Spanish Armada has defeated tournament favorite France 2-0, advancing to the final for the first time in 16 years. Spain neutralized France's powerful offense with tight, cohesive teamwork.

Lee Jeong-Chan reports.

[Reporter]

Spain took the initiative early, led by the clever play of 19-year-old rising star Yamal.

In the 20th minute of the first half, Yamal capitalized on a loose ball that the French defense failed to clear properly, drawing a penalty kick. Oyarzabal then converted it to score his 5th goal of the tournament, giving Spain the lead.

Having seized control, Spain extended their lead in the 13th minute of the second half.

They created an opportunity through their signature fluid passing, which was finished by defender Porro, a player familiar to Korean fans as a former teammate of Son Heung-min at Tottenham.

Spain completed a 2-0 victory, locking down France with a perfect defensive performance that allowed their first shot on target only in the 37th minute of the second half.

Spain has now recorded clean sheets in all 6 matches, a first for a single World Cup tournament, and extended their unbeaten streak to 37 games. They also continued their dominance over France, securing their third consecutive victory against them in the semifinals of major tournaments, following the 2024 European Championship and last year's Nations League.

[Luis de la Fuente / Spain National Football Team Head Coach: The team we faced was one of the best in the world, but we were the best 'one team' in the world. A 'one team' like this is unstoppable.]

France, which had been on a 6-game winning streak in this tournament behind a powerful offense led by top scorer Mbappe, failed to reach the World Cup final for the third consecutive time after a lackluster performance that saw them record an expected goals (xG) of just 0.3.

[Mbappe / France National Football Team Captain: When you win, you take all the glory. When you don't, you get all the criticism. As captain, I will take full responsibility.]

Having overcome a massive wave, the Spanish Armada is now just one step away from a championship title after 16 years.

(Video Editing: So Ji-hye)