Spain stun France to reach first World Cup final in 16 years

Spain has defeated France 2-0 in the first semifinal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and red team reached World Cup final after 16 years.

Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 22nd ‌minute after Lucas Digne fouled Lamine Yamal in the box.

The game at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas caught fire midway through the first half when Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton pointed to the penalty spot after a reckless challenge by France left-back Lucas Digne on Spain winger Lamine Yamal.

Oyarzabal hammered the ball past France goalkeeper Mike Maignan for his fifth goal of the World Cup to leave France trailing for the first time in the tournament.

Minutes later they suffered another blow when centre-back William Saliba had to leave the pitch after a recurrence of his lower back injury, replaced by Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix.

Spain went agonisingly close to extending their lead after some dazzling one-touch football but Dayot Upamecano's challenge denied Fabian Ruiz.

France finished the half without a single shot on target, and just two attempts overall as the team could not find a way back into the game against solid opponents who refused to yield.

Real Madrid forward Mbappe was just one cog in a star-studded attack that also included Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele and the elegant Michael Olise.

Prior to this game, Mbappe had scored in every round of the knockout stages.

The French captain sits top of the Golden Boot rankings with eight goals and three assists but he couldn’t add to his tally this afternoon.

Today, he failed to fire as Spain worked hard to close him down and stop the French midfield from servicing their superstar.

Didier Deschamps' men were hot favourites for the trophy after a string of breathtaking displays in the United States but they met their match against the slick European champions at the semi-final stage.

Mbappe still has the third place match to try and win the Golden Boot, but all eyes now turn to Messi as Argentina face England on Wednesday.

Fans believe defeat in Texas is a bitter blow for a France team that has enthralled fans at the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Pedro Porro as 'Man of the Match'

Spain defender and man of the match Pedro Porro speaking post-match expressed, "It's a dream come true. Truly it was my biggest dream. Very, very happy for the team. From the start to the end we played a great game. We did everything possible today to be able to go through."

"We knew we were facing a very, very tough team and we did everything so well. This is a team effort, it's not about me. I just want to say congratulations to everybody for producing such a great performance."