2026 FIFA World Cup: Yamal outshines Mbappe as Spain enter second final

Spain extended their winning streak against France, beating Les Bleus 2-0 in a dominant display to book their second-ever World Cup final.

Mikel Oyarzabal gave Spain the lead from the penalty spot before a marauding run from Pedro Porro doubled the lead for La Roja to send the European champions into the World Cup final.

The victory marked the third consecutive win for the squad against France; consequently, they denied Didier Deschamps' side the opportunity to reach their third World Cup final in a row.

After the boisterous on-pitch celebration, the Spanish contingent will pivot their attention towards the second semi-final between Argentina and England to learn their opponents for the final at the New York-New Jersey stadium.

France entered the match as heavy favourites, having outscored their opponents 14-2 earlier in the tournament. However, Spain’s midfield, orchestrated by Rodri, Fabián Ruiz, and Dani Olmo, dictated the game from the opening whistle, suffocating France's ability to transition the ball to their star forwards Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé.

Spain were rewarded for their dominance after Lamine Yamal was brought down inside the penalty area by French defender Lucas Digne. Mikel Oyarzabal stepped up to the spot and calmly converted the penalty past Mike Maignan to give La Roja a deserved 1-0 lead.

Trailing 1-0, France suffered another major setback when key centre-back William Saliba was forced off due to a back injury, with Maxence Lacroix coming on as a substitute.

Spain extended their advantage just before the hour mark. Full-back Pedro Porro was played into space in the box by Dani Olmo and connected with a precise right-footed strike to make it 2-0, effectively putting the game out of reach for Didier Deschamps' side.

Despite making several attacking substitutions, including bringing on Désiré Doué and Rayan Cherki, France failed to break down a resolute Spanish defence anchored by Pau Cubarsí and Aymeric Laporte. The frustrations of the match boiled over late on, with Mbappé receiving a yellow card in the 86th minute.