Lethal Spain execute plan to perfection against France on way to World Cup final | Jeff Rueter

Spain reached the World Cup final by carrying out a disciplined, possession-based plan extremely effectively against France, showing that their control and structure can be just as decisive as individual brilliance. The article argues that, despite receiving less attention than more star-driven teams and being labelled dull by some critics, Spain’s method became “lethal” when executed properly, exposing France’s more erratic style and underlining why Luis de la Fuente’s side remain serious contenders at the top level.

The piece places the win in the context of Spain’s broader evolution since Euro 2024, where they also relied on dominating the ball and forcing opponents to suffer without it. Spain’s semi-final in Dallas drew a crowd of 70,176, and the squad still features core figures such as Rodri, Fabián Ruiz, Dani Olmo and Unai Simón, though injuries and form issues have limited their attacking edge: Nico Williams had played only 98 minutes across seven matches, Lamine Yamal was still short of full sharpness after an April hamstring injury, and Álvaro Morata was not in the World Cup squad after poor club form. The article suggests that, even without a fully fit or dominant star forward, Spain’s collective structure and execution were enough to carry them into a second World Cup final.