Agencies |
Spain booked their place in the FIFA World Cup final for the first time since winning the tournament in South Africa in 2010, producing a composed and clinical 2-0 victory over France. The result also ended France’s bid to reach a third consecutive World Cup final, while Luis de la Fuente’s side equalled Italy’s all-time record of 37 matches unbeaten.
How It Unfolded
After a cautious opening, Spain gradually took control of the contest. Lamine Yamal was a constant threat down the right flank, and the teenage star earned the breakthrough after being brought down inside the penalty area by Lucas Digne. Mikel Oyarzabal calmly converted from the spot, sending Mike Maignan the wrong way to give Spain a deserved lead.
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France struggled to respond as Spain’s disciplined defensive line repeatedly frustrated Kylian Mbappé, catching the French captain offside on several occasions. Whenever Les Bleus threatened, goalkeeper Unai Simón was quick off his line to extinguish the danger.
France suffered another setback before half-time when William Saliba was forced off with a suspected hamstring injury, prompting an early defensive reshuffle. Spain continued to dominate possession, dictating the tempo and limiting Didier Deschamps’ side to few meaningful opportunities.
Any hopes of a French comeback were effectively ended just before the hour mark. Dani Olmo delivered a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Pedro Porro, who fired a powerful first-time finish into the bottom corner to double Spain’s advantage.
Deschamps introduced Désiré Doué and Rayan Cherki in search of inspiration, but France failed to create sustained pressure. Doué squandered their best chance after an adventurous clearance from Simón, while Mbappé’s frustration grew as the match wore on. The forward received a late yellow card before sending a free-kick comfortably over the crossbar.
Spain remained composed throughout the closing stages, comfortably seeing out the victory to secure another impressive result. De la Fuente’s side now stands just one win away from lifting the FIFA World Cup for a second time and completing a remarkable unbeaten run with football’s biggest prize.
