Spain Beats France 2-0 to Reach FIFA World Cup 2026 Final

Spain beat France 2-0 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final at Dallas Stadium on Wednesday, 15 July 2026, securing a place in the final and extending their dominance over their rivals on the continental stage.

Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Lamine Yamal, one day after his 19th birthday, won the decisive spot-kick. Oyarzabal’s penalty found the net past Mike Maignan. Pedro Porro doubled Spain’s advantage with a clinical finish, combining with Dani Olmo in a one-two move.

Spain has now beaten France in three consecutive major tournaments. The streak started at Euro 2024, when Spain won the semi-final 2-1. They met again in the Nations League 2025 semi-final, with Spain prevailing 5-4. Wednesday’s 2-0 victory in Dallas makes it three straight wins.

For France, the loss represents a familiar sting. They have now suffered four semi-final defeats across eight World Cup appearances—in 1958, 1982, 1986, and now 2026. Their last knockout elimination in the tournament came in the 2014 quarter-final, when Germany beat them 1-0.

Spain’s defensive record has been exceptional. They kept their sixth clean sheet in seven matches at the 2026 World Cup, having conceded just two goals in North America across the entire tournament. That defensive performance puts them within reach of history: the record for fewest goals conceded by a World Cup-winning team stands at two, shared by France (1998), Italy (2006), and Spain (2010).

Spain will face the winner of the England-Argentina semi-final in the World Cup 2026 final at New Jersey Stadium. They are chasing their second World Cup title; their first came in 2010, when Andrés Iniesta scored the decisive goal against the Netherlands at Soccer City.

France will play for the bronze medal on Saturday, 18 July 2026.