Spain Stuns Kylian Mbappe's France to Reach First World Cup Final in 16 Years

Led by Lamine Yamal, La Roja produced a clinical display to defeat the reigning World Cup runners-up and one of the favorites to win the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Lamine Yamal's Spain produced a near-flawless performance on Tuesday to completely neutralize World Cup runners-up and tournament favorites France, led by Kylian Mbappé, with a 2-0 victory at Dallas Stadium in the first semifinal of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

With the win, La Roja advanced to its second FIFA World Cup final, its first since lifting the trophy at South Africa 2010.

Luis de la Fuente's side made the most of its chances, with goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro eliminating the tournament favorites. Spain will now face the winner of the other semifinal between England and Argentina.

HOW LA ROJA NEUTRALIZED LES BLEUS

Spain confirmed the progress it had shown throughout the tournament with a disciplined, tactically sound and energetic performance. Without relying on Lamine Yamal at his very best, La Roja leaned on its collective play to outclass a France side widely regarded as one of the strongest teams in the competition.

The turning point came in the 22nd minute when Lamine Yamal was brought down inside the penalty area by Lucas Digne. Oyarzabal calmly converted the spot kick for his fifth goal of the World Cup, giving Spain the lead.

From there, Luis de la Fuente's team dictated the tempo with organized pressing, relentless defensive support and excellent discipline at the back. France created little danger for goalkeeper Unai Simón before halftime and suffered another setback when center back William Saliba was forced off with an injury.

SPAIN SEALS THE WIN AND KEEPS THE DREAM ALIVE

France failed to respond after the break, leaving more space for Spain to exploit. Following an excellent combination with Dani Olmo, Pedro Porro found himself unmarked inside the penalty area and calmly beat Mike Maignan to double Spain's lead before the hour mark.

Although Kylian Mbappé became more involved in the second half, France never found the attacking rhythm needed to mount a comeback. Its best chance came after an error by Unai Simón while playing out from the back, but Désiré Doué failed to capitalize, and the Spanish goalkeeper recovered in time to preserve the clean sheet.

With the result all but secured, De la Fuente rotated his squad, bringing on Pedri, Ferran Torres, Mikel Merino, Nico Williams and Marcos Llorente as Spain comfortably closed out a memorable victory.

The win highlights the strength of a generation that has already lifted the European Championship and now returns to the FIFA World Cup final for the first time since winning the title in 2010. Backed by outstanding teamwork, balance across the pitch and tactical discipline, Spain will now chase a second world title against either England or Argentina at MetLife Stadium.