Spain is back in the World Cup final for the first time since winning the tournament in 2010, after a dominant 2-0 win over France in the semifinal on July 14 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Mikel Oyarzabal converted a penalty in the 22nd minute and Pedro Porro added a second in the 58th, as Spain stifled the French attacking trio of Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise. Spain now waits to learn its final opponent, with Argentina facing England later Wednesday in Atlanta.
A Defense That Has Barely Been Breached
Neither team had trailed in the tournament until Oyarzabal's penalty, a measure of how far Spain has taken its defensive record: the team has conceded just one goal across seven matches this World Cup and has not lost in two years, an unbeaten streak now standing at 37 games (28 wins, 9 draws). France, chasing a third straight World Cup final after winning in 2018 and losing the 2022 final to Argentina, had no answer once Porro doubled the lead. Mbappe entered the match as the tournament's leading scorer with eight goals and three assists, just ahead of Argentina's Lionel Messi on eight goals and two assists, but France's front three were kept largely quiet by Spain's back line.
Today's Semifinal Sets the Final
Reigning Copa America champions Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, meet England in the second semifinal on Wednesday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, reviving a rivalry that has produced some of the tournament's most memorable meetings. The winner advances to face Spain in the final on Sunday, July 19, while the losing semifinalists, France and the beaten Argentina-England side, meet in the third-place playoff on Saturday, July 18. Spain enters the final as reigning European champion, having also won the 2024 UEFA European Championship and the 2023 UEFA Nations League, and a win on Sunday would complete a sweep of the World Cup, Euros and Nations League within a three-year span.
