Spain produced a disciplined performance to defeat France 2-0 in the FIFA World Cup semi-final, securing their place in the tournament’s final and ending Les Bleus’ hopes of reaching a third consecutive title match.
Spain took control through Mikel Oyarzabal, who opened the scoring with a composed penalty after France struggled to cope with the European champions’ quick attacking movement. Defender Pedro Porro doubled the lead later in the match, capping off an impressive display that left France with little opportunity to mount a comeback.
Despite entering the match with tournament top scorer Kylian Mbappé, France failed to break through Spain’s organised defence. Mbappé, who had starred throughout the World Cup, was largely kept quiet as Spain limited the space available to the Real Madrid forward and frustrated France’s attacking rhythm.
Spain dominated possession for long spells and created good chances, with their midfield controlling the tempo while the defence remained compact whenever France attempted to counterattack. The victory also extended Spain’s impressive unbeaten run in the tournament.
The result sends Spain into the FIFA World Cup final, where they will have the opportunity to compete for football’s biggest prize after another commanding performance on the global stage.
For France, the defeat ends another strong World Cup campaign run despite reaching the semi-finals, as Spain moves one step closer to lifting the trophy after eliminating the tournament favourites.
