Spain beat France to become the first team to reach the World Cup final
In Arlington, European champions Spain held France to a 2–0 victory, with a penalty from Oyarzabal and a second goal from Pedro Porro
In the first semi-final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, played at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Spain beat France 2–0 to secure their place in the World Cup final. It was a match they dominated from start to finish, neutralising France’s formidable attack, which was never able to mount a response or pose a threat.
Match report
The decisive moment came in the 20th minute of the first half when Lucas Digne miscontrolled the ball in his own penalty area and, in an attempt to clear it, struck Lamine Yamal. The referee awarded a penalty following a VAR review, and Mikel Oyarzabal coolly converted it, almost wrong-footing Maignan.
The start of the match had actually seemed evenly balanced, with Spain tending to keep possession and France posing a threat on the counter-attack.
Immediately after the penalty, France lost William Saliba to a muscle injury. But towards the end of the first half, it was Spain who came close to doubling their lead with a move involving Yamal, Olmo and Ruiz, which was thwarted by Upamecano.
In the second half, anyone expecting a fierce response from France was left disappointed. In fact, in the 58th minute, Spain put together a splendid team move: Porro linked up with Dani Olmo and found himself one-on-one with Maignan, beating him with a precise finish to double their lead.
