Spain beats France 2-0, reaches first World Cup final in 16 years

Spain will face either England or Argentina in the World Cup final as they look to claim the title for the second time in program history.

Spain has booked its place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final after defeating France 2-0 in the tournament’s first semifinal.

Spain took an early lead in the 24th minute when Mikel Oyarzabal converted a penalty. The team kept control after halftime, with Pedro Porro adding a second goal in the 58th minute to extend the lead.

France tried to fight back in the closing stages but couldn’t find a way past Spain’s defense. The win marks Spain’s first World Cup final appearance since 2010, when the team won the tournament by defeating the Netherlands in South Africa.

Spain will now face the winner of the second semifinal between England and Argentina for the championship. Spain has yet to lose a match at this year’s World Cup. Their only blemish came in a scoreless draw against Cape Verde, with wins in every other game leading up to the final.

A win in the final would give Spain its second World Cup title, following their 2010 championship. France, the 2018 World Cup champions, entered the semifinal with an experienced roster and had hoped to reach the final again after finishing as runners-up in the previous tournament.

Spain has also had the better of recent matchups between the two teams, defeating France in the Euro 2024 semifinal and again in last year’s UEFA Nations League semifinal. Spain will face either England or Argentina in the World Cup final as they look to claim the title for the second time in program history.