World Cup 2026: Beating the 'Gaulish Roosters', Spain Advances to the Final

The first half featured an open, attacking game as both sides pressed high to force defensive errors. In one such move, Lamine Yamal made a clever run into the French penalty area, drawing a foul from Lucas Digne. From the penalty spot, Mikel Oyarzabal made no mistake, beating goalkeeper Mike Maignan to put Spain ahead 1-0 in the 22nd minute. France's troubles deepened when key defender William Saliba suffered an injury and had to leave the pitch early.

In the following period, coach Luis de la Fuente's squad maintained a compact formation and solid ball possession, minimizing the opponent's attacking options. Struggling to control the game, Didier Deschamps brought on Manu Koné, Désiré Doué, and Rayan Cherki in the second half, hoping for a breakthrough. But before these changes could take effect, France suffered another blow. This time, Pedro Porro struck in the 58th minute, linking up well with Dani Olmo.

France's shaky defense struggled against Spain's flexible midfield. Up front, Kylian Mbappé received few touches and was forced to shoot from distance, but luck was not on his side. On the other end, Rodri delivered an outstanding performance, controlling the tempo alongside his teammates and dominating every challenge. Goalkeeper Unai Simón also made key contributions with two timely runs off his line to thwart France's chances.

Holding on to the 2-0 scoreline, Spain has earned a spot in the final for the first time since 2010 and now awaits their opponent from the match between England and Argentina.