Oyarzabal and Porro fire Spain past France and into the World Cup final
Goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro saw Spain shut down France in Dallas and reach only their second World Cup final.
Jul 14, 2026
Spain are back in a World Cup final. A first-half penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal and a crisp second-half finish from Pedro Porro carried them past France 2-0 in Dallas overnight, a controlled semi-final performance that never really let the tournament favourites breathe.
Oyarzabal converts after Yamal wins the penalty
The decisive moment arrived in the 22nd minute, and it came from the player France had spent the build-up worrying about most. Lamine Yamal chased down a loose ball inside the area, got there ahead of Lucas Digne, and drew the foul as the defender caught him trying to clear. Oyarzabal stepped up and drove it high into the corner beyond Mike Maignan, his fifth goal of the tournament from the spot.
It was the kind of opener Spain have thrived on all summer: patient possession, one moment of quality from Yamal, and a striker who has barely missed. From there, they simply took the sting out of the contest.
Porro doubles the lead as Spain take control
France needed a response after the break and never found one. Instead it was Spain who scored again. Porro exchanged passes with Dani Olmo on the right, kept running into the space, and side-footed the return past Maignan in the 58th minute to make it 2-0.
The second goal killed whatever momentum France were trying to build. Didier Deschamps’ side, the top-ranked team in FIFA’s rankings coming into the match, were held to just three shots on target and barely troubled Unai Simon. Spain’s midfield kept the ball away from Kylian Mbappe for long stretches, and the striker never got the sight of goal his team needed.
A second final, and a familiar sense of control
This is Spain’s second appearance in a World Cup final, after the side that won the trophy in 2010. The current group, reigning European champions, has looked the most convincing team in the tournament for weeks, and they backed it up against the pre-tournament favourites without ever having to ride their luck.
They will play the final in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday, waiting on the winner of the second semi-final between England and Argentina. France drop into the third-place play-off in Miami on Saturday, a long way from where a squad built around Mbappe expected to be.
For Spain, the equation is simple now. One more win in New Jersey, and a squad that already holds a European title has the World Cup to go with it.