By STEPHEN HAWKINSWednesday July 15, 2026
Spain turned back Kylian Mbappé and France’s star-studded attack with a commanding defensive display Tuesday, earning a 2-0 semifinal victory and a return to the World Cup final.
La Roja posted its record sixth clean sheet in seven matches, stifling one of the tournament’s most dangerous attacks and one of World Cup history’s most prolific scorers.
Teenager Lamine Yamal had warned that France should fear Spain, and the 19-year-old helped prove the point. FIFA’s top-ranked side neutralized a French team led by captain Mbappé, who had scored 20 goals in 20 World Cup matches entering the semifinal, alongside Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise, the tournament leader with five assists.
“We were up against one of the best national teams in the world, but today, they were facing the best team in the world,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said.
Mikel Oyarzabal converted a penalty after Yamal’s alert pressure created the opening, and Pedro Porro added a second as Spain secured its place in a second World Cup final.
One day after celebrating his 19th birthday, Yamal had a goal ruled out on a tight offside decision shortly after Porro completed a give-and-go with Dani Olmo in the 58th minute to make it 2-0. Still, Yamal’s clever work against an experienced defender had already delivered Spain’s breakthrough.
Spain will meet either defending champion Argentina or England on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, across the river from New York City.
“So difficult to get to this moment, but we want more,” Spain midfielder Rodri said. “We want to win this World Cup.”
France had been trying to become just the third country to reach three straight World Cup finals. Instead, it will head to Miami Gardens, Florida, for Saturday’s third-place match.
“Spain has been able to defend well,” departing France coach Didier Deschamps said through a translator. “They’ve closed out all the spaces and also we’ve made some technical mistakes. So it is difficult to create problems when the technical level is below standard.”
Argentina and England meet Wednesday in Atlanta in the other semifinal between international powers.
On soccer’s biggest stage, Spain extended a recent run of semifinal success against France. Yamal scored in Spain’s 2-1 victory in the 2024 European Championship semifinals, only days before his 17th birthday, and La Roja prevailed 5-4 in Nations League play last year.
Yamal had made clear after Spain’s quarterfinal win over Belgium that set up this latest semifinal meeting that France had reason for concern.
“It’s a team who loves to have control of the game, control of the ball. That’s what we let them do,” said Mbappé, who got none of his three shots on target. “It’s difficult when you don’t change the play of Spain.”
Since opening group play with a scoreless draw against surprising Cape Verde, Spain has outscored its opponents 12-1. Goalkeeper Unai Simón’s only concession came in the quarterfinal against Belgium, ending his World Cup-record streak of 650 scoreless minutes.
Spain’s run has also pushed its regular-time unbeaten streak to 37 games, with 28 wins and nine draws, since March 2024. It surpassed the nation’s previous mark of 35 consecutive matches from 2007-09.
The defeat ended France’s record-matching run of six consecutive World Cup victories, a mark it also reached at the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.
Oyarzabal put Spain ahead from the spot in the 22nd minute after defender Lucas Digne kicked Yamal and conceded the foul.
Digne had attempted to clear the ball following a poor headed touch when Yamal sprinted in from behind to challenge inside the area. The ball struck the elbow of the airborne teenager before Digne kicked him. Digne was making his 63rd France appearance, six days shy of his 33rd birthday.
Oyarzabal’s fifth goal of this World Cup meant that, for the first time in seven tournament matches, either Spain or France had fallen behind. It was also his 30th goal in 60 international appearances for Spain.
For Spain’s second, Porro found space before taking a return pass from Olmo, who managed a touch just before defender Dayot Upamecano knocked him to the ground.
“We knew that we’re a very tough team, we’re doing things really well,” Porro said.
France had conceded only two goals over its first six matches at the tournament.
Spain also produced two other genuine scoring opportunities before halftime.
One came from a free kick just outside the penalty area after Adrien Rabiot received a yellow card for fouling Olmo in the eighth minute. Alex Baena drove the attempt straight into France’s defensive wall.
Then, in the 38th minute, France goalkeeper Mike Maignan sent an attempted clearance directly to Baena. Spain moved the ball quickly through several passes before Upamecano made a sharp intervention to stop Fabian Ruiz’s close-range effort.
Mbappé remains tied with Argentina great Lionel Messi for the tournament lead with eight goals, holding the Golden Boot advantage on the assist tiebreaker. He will have the third-place game to add to that total. Messi has two matches remaining in his sixth World Cup as he chases the Golden Boot and seeks to extend his overall tournament record of 21 goals.
“As the captain, I have to take all the responsibility and I have no problem with that,” Mbappé said. “We wanted to go to the final. We didn’t go.”
