ARLINGTON, Texas—Spain advanced to the FIFA World Cup final with a 2-0 victory over France on Tuesday, ending the tournament favorites' title bid and earning a place in the championship match for the second time in the nation's history.
Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 22nd minute after teenage forward Lamine Yamal was fouled inside the area, before defender Pedro Porro doubled Spain's lead in the 58th minute following a move involving Dani Olmo. Spain's disciplined defensive display kept France scoreless, securing the team's sixth clean sheet in seven matches at the tournament.
The result sends Spain into Sunday's final at New York New Jersey Stadium, where they will face the winner of the other semifinal between England and Argentina. France will play in the third-place match.
Spain, coached by Luis de la Fuente, controlled much of the contest despite facing a French side led by Kylian Mbappé that had entered the semifinal with an unbeaten record and the tournament's most prolific attack. France struggled to create clear scoring opportunities as Spain's midfield and back line limited space for Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise.
Following the victory, De la Fuente praised his players' performance, calling Spain "the best team in the world" after they reached the World Cup final. The coach has guided Spain to another major international final after leading the side to the UEFA European Championship title in 2024.
France coach Didier Deschamps said his squad was "devastated" by the defeat after its hopes of reaching a third consecutive World Cup final came to an end. France had scored 16 goals through its first six matches but was unable to break through against Spain's organized defense.
The victory extended Spain's unbeaten run to 37 international matches, matching the European record previously set by Italy, according to tournament statistics. Spain, whose only previous World Cup final appearance ended with its maiden title in 2010, will now seek a second world championship when it returns to the field on Sunday.
