7M - France 0-2 Spain: Spain upset favorites France to reach World Cup final

Thanks to a clever attacking move from teenage talent Lamine Yamal that earned a penalty, Mikel Oyarzabal converted the spot kick to break the deadlock, before Pedro Porro netted a second goal to seal the win. Spain stunned tournament favourites France 2-0 on Tuesday, securing their spot in the World Cup final for the first time since their historic title triumph in 2010.

Fresh off celebrating his 19th birthday the previous day, Yamal came close to finding the back of the net, only to have a goal ruled out by a tight offside decision. The chance arrived shortly after Porro’s neat one-two combination with Dani Olmo in the 58th minute stretched Spain’s advantage to two goals. Nevertheless, it was Yamal’s intelligent movement and composure against France’s experienced defensive line that handed Spain the crucial opening goal of the game.

Spain’s final opponents will be determined by Wednesday’s semi-final clash in Atlanta between reigning world champions Argentina and England. The title showdown is set to take place this Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Ranked the world’s top side by FIFA, Kylian Mbappé’s France squad had aimed to make history as just the third nation to advance to three straight World Cup finals. Instead, Les Bleus will now contest the third-place playoff in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Saturday, one day before the final fixture at New York City’s neighbouring MetLife Stadium.
This landmark victory on football’s grandest stage means Spain have now eliminated France in tournament semi-finals for three consecutive summers. Back in the 2024 European Championship semi-finals, Yamal scored the decisive goal in a 2-1 Spanish triumph just days before turning 17, while La Roja also edged out France 5-4 in last year’s UEFA Nations League semi-final encounter.

Following Spain’s quarter-final victory over Belgium last Friday, Yamal boldly stated that France had every reason to be wary of Spain’s threat — a prediction that rang entirely true in Tuesday’s semi-final showdown.

Spain’s breakthrough came in the 22nd minute, when Yamal was fouled by French defender Lucas Digne inside the penalty area, gifting Oyarzabal a penalty opportunity.

Digne miscontrolled the ball with a clumsy first header and attempted to clear his lines, before Yamal burst in from behind to contest the ball inside the box. The ball inadvertently struck the young winger’s arm mid-air, and Digne followed through with a kick on Yamal, conceding the penalty. The clash came just six days shy of Digne’s 33rd birthday, as he earned his 63rd senior cap for France in the tie.

Oyarzabal’s coolly dispatched penalty, his fifth strike of the ongoing World Cup, marked the first time either finalist contender had fallen behind in any of their seven matches throughout the entire tournament. The goal also represented his 30th international goal for Spain across 60 senior national team appearances.