Spain qualified for the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 2-0 win over France on Tuesday.
The reigning European champions smothered the prolific French attack – which had scored the second-most goals in the tournament so far – and maintained their exceptional defensive record of conceding just one goal during this World Cup.
Spain now await the winner of today’s second semi-final between England and Argentina to see who they will face in Sunday’s final, while France will play the loser in the third-place play-off on Saturday.
Winning goals
Spain were awarded a penalty in the 20th minute when French defender Lucas Digne caught winger Lamine Yamal while attempting to clear the ball inside the box, which forward Mikel Oyarzabal converted from the spot.
France laboured for an equalizer, but a mixture of poor attacking play and a stubborn Spanish defence meant they couldn’t find any success.
Spanish defender Pedro Porro dealt the hammer blow an hour into the game, finishing off a well-worked team move to give his side a 2-0 lead – a deficit that the French could not overcome.
Spain's progress
After a 0-0 draw against tournament debutants Cape Verde in their opening match, Spain have won all their matches en route to the final.
A 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia and a 1-0 victory over Uruguay confirmed their spot as Group H winners, before they beat Austria (3-0), Portugal (1-0), Belgium (2-1), and France (2-0) in the knockout stages.
This run closely mirrors their historic World Cup-winning campaign in 2010 – the only other occasion the Spanish have reached the final – during which their defence famously conceded just two goals the entire tournament.
Picture courtesy: FIFA.com
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