Spain reach World Cup final by beating France 2-0
Developed over time first seen 3 months ago
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8'
Yellow card Adrien RABIOT (France) is booked by
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31'
Yellow card Marc CUCURELLA (Spain) is booked by
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Goal Pedro PORRO (Spain) scores!!
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Yellow card Kylian MBAPPE (France) is booked by
France squad
- Selected
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3 Lucas Digne Defender
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4 Dayot UPAMECANO Defender
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5 Jules KOUNDE Defender
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7 Ousmane DEMBELE Forward
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8 Aurelien TCHOUAMENI Midfielder
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10 Kylian MBAPPE C Forward
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11 Michael OLISE Forward
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12 Bradley BARCOLA Forward
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14 Adrien RABIOT Midfielder
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16 Mike MAIGNAN Goalkeeper
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17 William SALIBA Defender
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1 Brice SAMBA Goalkeeper
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2 Malo GUSTO Defender
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6 Manu KONE Midfielder
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9 Marcus THURAM Forward
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13 Ngolo KANTE Midfielder
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15 Ibrahima KONATE Defender
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18 Warren ZAIRE-EMERY Midfielder
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19 Theo HERNANDEZ Defender
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20 Desire DOUE Forward
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21 Lucas HERNANDEZ Defender
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22 Jean-Philippe MATETA Forward
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23 Robin RISSER Goalkeeper
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24 Rayan CHERKI Midfielder
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25 Maghnes AKLIOUCHE Midfielder
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26 Maxence Lacroix Defender
Spain squad
- Selected
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8 Fabian RUIZ Midfielder
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10 Dani OLMO Forward
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12 Pedro PORRO Defender
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14 Aymeric LAPORTE Defender
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15 Alex BAENA Midfielder
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16 RODRI C Midfielder
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19 Lamine YAMAL Forward
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21 Mikel OYARZABAL Forward
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22 Pau CUBARSI Defender
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23 Unai SIMON Goalkeeper
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24 Marc CUCURELLA Defender
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1 David RAYA Goalkeeper
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2 Marc PUBILL Defender
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3 Alex GRIMALDO Defender
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4 Eric GARCIA Defender
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5 Marcos LLORENTE Defender
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6 Mikel MERINO Midfielder
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7 Ferran TORRES Forward
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9 GAVI Midfielder
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11 Yeremy PINO Forward
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13 Joan GARCIA Goalkeeper
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17 Nico WILLIAMS Forward
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18 Martin ZUBIMENDI Midfielder
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20 PEDRI Midfielder
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25 Victor MUNOZ Forward
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26 Borja IGLESIAS Forward
Spain reached the 2026 World Cup final with a 2-0 semi-final win over France, producing a controlled and convincing performance rather than a narrow escape. The result matters because France had been among the strongest fancied teams in the tournament, yet Spain limited their attacking threat and looked the more cohesive side throughout. Luis de la Fuente’s team now go into Sunday’s final as strong contenders for the title.
Spain took the lead in the first half when Mikel Oyarzabal converted a penalty after Lucas Digne fouled Lamine Yamal, despite brief scrutiny over whether Yamal had handled the ball in the build-up. Pedro Porro scored the second from a well-worked move, and France failed to create meaningful chances for long periods, with Kylian Mbappé unable to change the game. Didier Deschamps’ side, including recalled midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni and winger Bradley Barcola, never found fluency, while Spain’s midfield control and defensive organisation kept them in command.
- Sources
- 4
- Outlets
- 3
- Left · Centre · Right
- 1 · 2 · 1
In short
- Spain beat France 2-0 to reach the World Cup final
- Oyarzabal’s penalty put Spain ahead in the first half
- France struggled badly and rarely threatened Spain
How this story developed
- 3 months ago The latest account emphasised even more strongly that Spain outclassed France tactically as well as on the scoreboard, reinforcing the view that they now head into Sunday’s final as the strongest team left in the tournament.
- 3 months ago It was subsequently reported that Spain’s victory had been more emphatic than merely efficient, with France, despite their status among the pre-match favourites, largely contained and unable to provide a serious response.
- 3 months ago Spain reached the 2026 World Cup final by beating France 2-0 in New Jersey, with Mikel Oyarzabal’s penalty and Pedro Porro’s goal rewarding a display in which Luis de la Fuente’s side took control after going ahead.
Where outlets differ
Left-leaning outlets 1
Only here: reach, beating
Centre outlets 2
- Porro doubles Spain's lead over FranceBBC Sport
- Spain into World Cup final after victory over FranceBBC Sport
Only here: porro, doubles, lead, victory
Right-leaning outlets 1
Only here: advances, second, ever, dominating, semifinal
Every side used: spain, world, final, france
Headline columns compared word for word; nothing in them is AI-written.
Explained simply
The World Cup is football’s biggest international tournament, held every four years and contested by national teams. A semi-final decides which teams reach the final, where the winner is crowned world champion.
Spain are former world champions, having won the tournament in 2010, and are managed by Luis de la Fuente. Their squad includes younger players such as Lamine Yamal alongside more experienced figures, with Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro among those involved in this match.
France are also previous World Cup winners and have regularly been among the leading international sides in recent years. Their manager, Didier Deschamps, has a team featuring Kylian Mbappé, one of football’s best-known forwards, so a win over France is seen as a significant test of Spain’s title credentials.
Coverage · 4 sources
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Originally published by The Guardian as “Spain book place in World Cup final after Oyarzabal and Porro goals knock out France”.