Spain dominated over France in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi final match on Tuesday 14 July, 2026 at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, United States (US) to reach the final.
The showdown saw the La Roja cage the powerful attack of the Les Bleus, which comprised of Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola, to set up a final with England or Argentina.
Coach Didier Deschamps’ France were the favourites for the World Cup trophy following series of beautiful performances and outcomes, however, on Tuesday night in Texas, the Les Bleus collided with a tougher opponent and succumbed.
Real Sociedad forward, Mikel Oyarzabal, opened the scoring for the La Roja from the penalty spot in the 22nd minute, and, Tottenham Hotspur defender, Pedro Porro, sealed the win in the 58th minute with Dani Olmo’s assist.
A stunned France struggled but could not find their way through the 2010 World Cup winners, despite possessing a very lethal attack.
For the first time in the World Cup 2026, France trailed after Oyarzabal fired his kick from the penalty spot past goalkeeper, Mike Maignan, to hand Spain the lead; it was the forward’s fifth goal of the tournament.
Subsequently, the Les Bleus, two-time World Cup Champions, suffered another setback when Arsenal centre-back, William Saliba, had to exit the pitch after a reappearance of his lower back injury.
The Spaniards pushed for an extension of their lead, but, Bayern Munich defender, Dayot Upamecano’s challenge denied Fabian Ruiz.
The Les Bleus were unable to record a single shot on target in the first 45 minutes, and managed to finish with a meagre two (2) attempts overall.
Even with the presence of Ballon d’Or winner, Ousmane Dembele, and World Cup 2026 leading goalscorer, Mbappe, Spain were in control and delivered a masterclass that downed the Frenchmen.
Coach Deschamps will step down as France manager after guiding France in the World Cup third place match. He will call it quits with the Les Bleus after fourteen (14) years in charge.
In his post-France comments, Porto told Television Espanola: the victory was a “dream come true”.
He added: “This is all down to the team; I can’t take credit. I just congratulate everyone, as they played great games.
“We knew that to get close to the final we needed to have the ball. We knew that to counter their strengths was key. And we did that. So we’re really happy.”
England and Argentina will fight for a place in the final when they clash on Wednesday 15 July, 2026 at Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta, US at 20:00 (WAT).
Photo: Pedro Porto celebrates after netting the second goal for Spain in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi final match against France in Texas, US on Tuesday
