Dallas: Spain defeats France 2-0 in World Cup semi-final

By Brian Otieno — 14 July 2026 — 4 min read

Spain secures World Cup final berth

Spain defeated France 2-0 in Dallas to secure a spot in their first World Cup final since 2010. The victory means Spain will face either England or Argentina in New Jersey on Sunday. The match saw Spain dominate, with goals from Pedro Porro and a penalty by Mikel Oyarzabal.

The opening goal came from a penalty awarded after Lucas Digne fouled Lamine Yamal. Oyarzabal converted the spot-kick, giving Luis De La Fuente’s side the lead. This decision, however, was met with protests from France, who argued that Yamal had committed a handball offence prior to the foul.

Penalty decision and player performances

Despite France’s protests, rules analyst Christina Unkel supported the on-field decision made by Salvadoran official Ivan Barton. Unkel stated that the contact on Yamal’s sleeve would not be considered part of the arm, thus not warranting a handball offence. She compared Digne’s challenge to similar incidents involving Harry Kane against Mexico and Luka Modric against England earlier in the tournament.

Football pundit Gary Neville criticised Digne’s defending, highlighting a lack of awareness regarding Yamal’s position. Neville suggested that Digne should have been more conscious of the presence of a player like Yamal, particularly given his skill on the outside.

Spain’s second goal came from Pedro Porro, who scored a notable goal to seal his country’s place in the final. Porro now has three goal involvements in the tournament. Unai Simon, Spain’s goalkeeper, recorded his sixth clean sheet in seven matches, making a crucial clearance to deny Kylian Mbappe.

Several Spanish players delivered strong performances. Rodri, the Spain captain, was described as outstanding, effectively suffocating France’s midfield. Aymeric Laporte also had a strong showing, maintaining composure under pressure and achieving a passing accuracy of over 90%. Lamine Yamal, despite struggling to display his usual flair earlier in the World Cup, was pivotal in the semi-final, winning the penalty that led to Spain’s first goal. He also had a goal disallowed for offside.

France’s struggle and key injuries

France’s team struggled to make an impact against a dominant Spanish side. Goalkeeper Mike Maignan guessed correctly for Oyarzabal’s penalty but was beaten by its pace and power, and also showed some poor distribution. Defenders Jules Kounde and Dayot Upamecano struggled at times, with Kounde’s passing being a particular concern. Upamecano made a significant block to deny Fabian Ruiz when the score was 1-0, but it ultimately proved to be in vain.

A significant blow for France was the injury to centre-half William Saliba, who went off with no one around him after Spain had scored. This marked a difficult end to his World Cup campaign, as France failed to recover after falling behind for the first time in the tournament. Maxence Lacroix was brought on to replace Saliba.

In midfield, Aurelien Tchouameni, who had been key to France’s semi-final run, had a match to forget as Spain’s midfield asserted control. Adrien Rabiot was fortunate to remain on the pitch after fouling Ruiz, having already received a booking for an earlier challenge on Dani Olmo. Rabiot was replaced at the start of the second half by Manu Kone, who was unable to influence the game.

France’s attacking players also found it difficult to impose themselves. Ousmane Dembele, the Ballon d’Or winner, was unable to make an impression, while Michael Olise had what was described as his poorest performance of the World Cup. Olise was also fortunate not to be booked for a late first-half foul on Rodri. Bradley Barcola had an early run that won a corner but offered little else. Kylian Mbappe, known for his finishing, had only two touches in Spain’s penalty area in the first half and struggled to create a threat.

Substitutes such as Desire Doue and Rayan Cherki were introduced to try and change the game for France, but they could not inspire a comeback. Doue departs the World Cup with two goal involvements, while Cherki ends his campaign without making a start. Theo Hernandez also came on when Spain was already leading 2-0.

Spain’s substitutes, including Ferran Torres, Mikel Merino, Pedri, Marcos Llorente, and Nico Williams, helped manage the game in the closing stages, ensuring France had limited opportunities. Unai Simon’s performance included a vital clearance before Mbappe could seize an opportunity.

Spain’s victory marks their progression to the World Cup final, scheduled for Sunday in New Jersey.

Source: bbc.com