Spain produced a disciplined display to beat France 2-0 in the FIFA World Cup semifinal at AT&T Stadium on Tuesday. The victory sent La Roja into their first World Cup final since 2010. Mikel Oyarzabal scored from the penalty spot in the first half, while Pedro Porro added a stunning second-half goal to end France's hopes of reaching a third straight World Cup final.

Spain also continued their recent dominance over their European rivals. They have now eliminated France in three consecutive major tournaments. They first beat them in the Euro 2024 semifinals, followed it up in last year's Nations League, and repeated the feat in this World Cup. Teenager Lamine Yamal, who celebrated his 19th birthday a day before the match, once again proved to be Spain's biggest attacking threat.

Yamal Wins the Penalty

Spain took the lead in the 22nd minute. Lamine Yamal chased a loose ball after Lucas Digne misjudged a header inside his own penalty area. As Yamal raced through on goal, Digne kicked the teenager while trying to recover. The referee immediately pointed to the penalty spot.

Mikel Oyarzabal stepped up and calmly sent the goalkeeper the wrong way. He scored his fifth goal of the tournament. The goal also marked the first time either Spain or France had trailed during this World Cup.

Spain Stay in Complete Control

France, the world's top-ranked team, never found their rhythm. Spain's organised defence kept Kylian Mbappé quiet for most of the game. France struggled to create clear chances and failed to put Spain under sustained pressure.

Spain doubled their lead in the 58th minute with a brilliant team move. Pedro Porro exchanged quick passes with Dani Olmo before smashing a powerful shot into the net. The goal gave Spain full control of the semifinal.

France Cannot Break Through

Yamal nearly made it 3-0 soon after. However, the officials ruled out his close-range finish for a narrow offside.

France pushed forward in the final stages. They attacked with more urgency but failed to break Spain's disciplined backline. Spain defended confidently and comfortably protected their two-goal advantage until the final whistle.

Spain Move One Step Away From the Title

Spain will now travel to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, for Sunday's World Cup final. They will face either defending champions Argentina or England in the title clash.

France, meanwhile, will head to Miami Gardens to play in Saturday's third-place playoff.

Mbappé Admits France Fell Short

After the match, Kylian Mbappé admitted that France failed to execute their plan and praised Spain's performance. "We didn't play the game we wanted, technically, tactically, When you don't do what you have to do in a World Cup semifinal, you don't win. Spain respected their game plan. Our plan was to press them high so they could not install their rhythm. We didn't manage to do it. We were too sloppy technically. We could not hurt them when we could have," Mbappe said after the match.