Spain secured their spot in the World Cup final with a commanding 2-0 victory over France at Dallas Stadium on July 14. Spain now awaits the winner of the England-Argentina semifinal, while France must regroup for the third-place playoff.
DON'T MISS
Oyarzabal Strikes From The Spot
Spain broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute when Lamine Yamal was fouled in the box by Lucas Digne, and Oyarzabal stepped up to convert the resulting penalty. The goal rewarded a Spanish side that had started patiently before seizing control of the tempo.
Porro Doubles The Lead
Spain’s dominance was confirmed in the 58th minute, as Porro combined in a give-and-go with Dani Olmo before finishing past Mike Maignan. Yamal also had a close-range effort ruled out for offside, underlining how thoroughly Spain controlled proceedings.
Rodri And Spain’s Defence Suffocate France
Captain Rodri anchored a backline that gave France’s vaunted attack almost nothing to work with. La Roja restricted the French front line to just 0.3 expected goals from ten shots, with only three on target. It extended an extraordinary run for Spain, who arrived at the semifinal on a 37-game unbeaten streak.
A Frustrating Night For Mbappé
France’s star forward struggled to make an impact throughout. Mbappé managed just three shots without registering one on target, and his frustration boiled over late in the match. He picked up a yellow card in the 86th minute after colliding with goalkeeper Unai Simón, then blazed a free-kick over the crossbar three minutes later. French manager Didier Deschamps admitted his side fell below their standards on the night.
