2026 FIFA World Cup Day 32 recap: Yamal is ‘Mr Talk and Do’, but Mbappé has a problem

Barcelona star Lamine Yamal will play in his first World Cup final at the age of 19 after helping Spain beat France in their 2026 World Cup semi-final clash in Dallas. 

Goals in either half from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro gave Luis de la Fuente’s men a comfortable 2-0 win over the 2018 champions. 

The match was a clash between Europe’s best teams and two of the biggest superstars in world football right now in Yamal and Kylian Mbappe. 

However, it was Spain and Yamal who prevailed once again, with the Barcelona teenager backing up his pre-match words. 

Coming into the game, France were almost everyone’s favourite, given their performance in previous games. 

Didier Deschamps had played like champions-elect until yesterday, as they blew away teams easily. 

However, despite recognising France’s super-star quality, Yamal said ahead of the game that if any team could beat Les Bleus, it was going to be Spain, which happened to be the case.

Although he did not score, Yamal was a constant threat against France, especially against Lucas Digne, who had a difficult evening facing the Barcelona teenager. 

The 19-year-old won the penalty that Mikel Oyarzabal converted in the first half after Digne hit him in the box. Yamal also put in a decent shift in defence when he needed to, especially in the second half. 

Meanwhile, his fellow superstar on the other side, Mbappe, struggled as France failed to threaten Spain. The Real Madrid star, who remains on course to win the Golden Boot, was helpless throughout the game, losing another battle to his Barcelona rival. 

The former Paris Saint-Germain man now has a ‘Yamal Problem’, having lost 9 of 11 meetings against him, including 8 of the last 9. 

If Yamal is a problem for Mbappe, Spain are also France’s kryptonite, as the win was Spain’s third consecutive win over Les Bleus. 

La Roja had beaten France in the semi-final of Euro 2024 and the semi-final of the UEFA Nations League before Tuesday’s encounter. 

Tuesday’s win was another comfortable night for the 2010 champions, as they dominated France from start to finish. While they did not have to hit top gear for the win, Spain never looked to be in trouble throughout the game. 

La Roja will now go into Sunday’s final full of confidence, as they seek a second star on their crest, having won their first World Cup in 2010.