France’s hopes of reaching a third consecutive FIFA World Cup final came to a disappointing end after a 2-0 defeat to Spain in Tuesday night’s semi-final at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Spain produced a disciplined and clinical performance to book their place in Sunday’s final. Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 22nd minute after Lamine Yamal was brought down inside the area. Pedro Porro doubled Spain’s advantage in the 58th minute with a composed finish following a well-worked attacking move.
Didier Deschamps’ side struggled to create clear-cut opportunities despite boasting attacking stars including Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé. Spain controlled possession for long periods and defended resolutely, preventing France from mounting a meaningful comeback.
The defeat ends France’s impressive World Cup campaign and denies Les Bleus the chance to compete for another global title. Instead, they will now contest the third-place play-off later this week.
For Spain, the victory continues an outstanding run under head coach Luis de la Fuente and secures the nation’s first World Cup final appearance since lifting the trophy in 2010. They will face either England or Argentina in Sunday’s final as they aim to become world champions once again.
France will now turn their attention to finishing the tournament on a positive note in the third-place play-off, while Spain move one step closer to adding another World Cup title to their growing list of international honours.