Spain Break France’s Hearts to Reach First World Cup Final in 16 Years

Sports Desk: France and Spain—two of Europe’s football powerhouses—produced a blockbuster semifinal. At times, Lamine Yamal and his teammates dazzled with their trademark Spanish flair, while Kylian Mbappé and the French side responded with moments of brilliance.

In the end, however, it was the reigning European champions Spain who had the final say. On Tuesday night at Dallas Stadium, Luis de la Fuente’s side defeated France 2-0 in the first semifinal to secure a place in the FIFA World Cup final.

The breakthrough came after French left-back Lucas Digne fouled Lamine Yamal inside the penalty area. As Yamal tried to control a high ball with his shoulder, Digne’s challenge brought him down before he could touch the ball with his foot, prompting the referee to award Spain a penalty.

Two minutes later, Mikel Oyarzabal stepped up and calmly converted from the spot, sending the ball into the bottom-left corner. France goalkeeper Mike Maignan guessed correctly and got a hand to it but was unable to keep the shot out. France pushed hard for an equalizer, but their efforts came to nothing.

The victory ended Spain’s 16-year wait to reach a World Cup final. France, finalists in the previous two World Cups, saw their campaign end in the semifinals. Didier Deschamps’ side also missed the opportunity to become only the second team after West Germany (1982, 1986, and 1990) to reach three consecutive World Cup finals.

After winning UEFA Euro 2008, Spain went on to lift the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Since that triumph, they had not progressed beyond the knockout stage of a World Cup until this tournament. Now, they have reached the final once again.

Despite their impressive run to the semifinals, France failed to reproduce their best form against Spain. They looked disorganized throughout the match, while Spain’s disciplined and composed football neutralized the attacking threat of Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, and the rest of the French frontline.

Spain dominated possession from the opening whistle, while France relied mainly on counterattacks. The Spaniards took control in the 22nd minute. Around the 20-minute mark, Marc Cucurella delivered a cross from the left, and Lamine Yamal collected the ball inside the French penalty area after making a run from the right flank.

France created several chances but failed to capitalize, with Mbappé and Bradley Barcola both missing promising opportunities. Spain nearly doubled their lead in the 38th minute when Dani Olmo set up Yamal inside the box, who then squared the ball for Fabián Ruiz. However, Ruiz failed to convert from close range.

France responded with several dangerous attacks before halftime. One of Mbappé’s best chances was denied when Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón rushed off his line to clear the danger.

France started the second half determined to level the score, but instead conceded again in the 58th minute. Pedro Porro found Dani Olmo in the final third before continuing his run. Despite pressure from French defenders, Olmo returned the ball to Porro, who fired home to make it 2-0.

Yamal thought he had added a third goal in the 61st minute, but it was ruled out for offside. Three minutes later, Spain’s defenders blocked another effort from Mbappé. In stoppage time, Ousmane Dembélé squandered two more chances as France’s hopes faded.

Spain have now defeated France in three consecutive major tournaments—the UEFA European Championship, the UEFA Nations League, and the FIFA World Cup.

Spain will face either Argentina or England in the World Cup final. The second semifinal between those two teams is scheduled to take place on Wednesday night in Atlanta.