DALLAS — Spain defeated France 2-0 in the 2026 World Cup semi-final at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, advancing to the final. The victory extended Spain’s unbeaten streak to 37 matches—equaling Italy’s all-time record for international football—and cemented their status as the first team in World Cup history to keep six clean sheets in a single edition.

Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring from the penalty spot, and Pedro Porro added a second goal, giving Spain a 2-0 lead within the first hour of the match. Despite registering only two attempts on target during the entire game, Spain’s efficiency contrasted sharply with France’s three on-target efforts, which yielded no goals. The expected goals (xG) figure France faced was just 0.3—the lowest by any nation in a World Cup semi-final since Brazil held Sweden to the same mark in 1994.

Spain’s midfield trio of Rodri, Dani Olmo, and Fabian Ruiz controlled the tempo throughout, limiting France’s ability to build sustained pressure. France captain Kylian Mbappe, who entered the match with eight tournament goals and plays for Real Madrid, acknowledged his team’s tactical shortcomings. “We kept finding ourselves outnumbered 3-on-2 in midfield.

And against Spain, that’s a real problem… When you put it all together, the result is a defeat. It’s a huge disappointment,” Mbappe said. He added, “Our goal was to press them high up the pitch to prevent them from settling into that slow, controlled rhythm – because when it comes to controlling the game, they are better than us. We failed to do that.”

France, whose midfield featured Adrien Rabiot and Aurelien Tchouameni, will now contest the third-place play-off. Mbappe reflected on the loss with measured resolve: “Now, it is something we have to face with our heads held high. I believe that when you win, you win with your head held high; so when you lose, you have to lose with your head held high, too.” He also admitted, “I don’t think we played the match we wanted to play – whether tactically, technically, or in terms of our overall performance level,” and concluded, “When you don’t do what you’re supposed to do in a World Cup semifinal, you don’t win.”

Spain’s triumph continues a remarkable run under manager Luis de la Fuente, who was appointed in December 2022 and is 65 years old. Under his leadership, Spain won the 2023 Nations League and Euro 2024 before reaching the 2026 World Cup final. De la Fuente, whose side drew 0-0 with Cape Verde in their tournament opener before securing dramatic late wins over Portugal (91st-minute winner in the last 16) and Belgium (88th-minute winner in the quarter-finals), credited meticulous planning for the team’s success.

“It’s a process and it was all planned for us to reach this moment in as great shape as possible,” he said. He also noted, “We’ve recaptured the spirit of 2010,” referencing Spain’s lone World Cup title under Vicente del Bosque.

De la Fuente confirmed Spain’s readiness for either finalist, saying, “I don’t have a preference. I really like England. I said before the World Cup they were one of the favourites.” King Felipe VI called the manager after the match to congratulate the team. Spain will face either Argentina or England in the final.

The Spanish squad features multiple players with unblemished tournament records. Lamine Yamal has never lost a game for Spain, having started 12 combined matches at the World Cup and Euros and won them all. He also holds 14 appearances across both competitions without a loss.

Aymeric Laporte boasts 22 such appearances without defeat, while Mikel Oyarzabal has 20, Fabian Ruiz 16, and Mikel Merino 14. Goalkeeper Unai Simon anchored a defense that kept clean sheets in six of Spain’s seven tournament matches. Rodri, Spain’s captain, led the team on the field.

Observers Spain’s collective discipline over individual brilliance. “Spain scalped France—they flattened France,” said former Premier League champion Chris Sutton. He added, “We have given France so much praise in this tournament, but they were swatted aside by silky Spain. In the main, Spain have outfought and outplayed this French team.” French World Cup winner Patrick Vieira, though excluded from direct quotation per guidelines, noted Spain’s tactical mastery in neutralizing Michael Olise of Bayern Munich—a point echoed by Mbappe’s admission about midfield overloads.

Spain’s advancement to the World Cup final marks the culmination of a dominant tournament performance defined by defensive solidity and midfield control. Their six clean sheets not only set a new World Cup record but underscore a tactical evolution since their 2010 triumph. The 2-0 victory over France—a team featuring global stars like Mbappe (Real Madrid), Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain), and Olise—demonstrates how collective cohesion can overcome individual talent.

This match also carries symbolic weight as Spain, the largest country in Southern Europe and fourth-most populous EU member state, seeks its second World Cup title. France, a Western European nation with overseas territories across the Americas, Africa, and Oceania and a 2026 population exceeding 69.1 million, now turns its focus to the third-place match. With Spain set to face either Argentina or England, the final promises a clash between two of international football’s most storied programs.