Spain Beats France 2-0 to Become a Finalist in the 2026 World Cup

Spain wrote their name in the final by defeating France 2-0 in the 2026 North America World Cup semi-final. Despite France looking more effective in the opening minutes, Spain kept their composure and took control of the match. The goal scored by Mikel Oyarzabal from a penalty in the 22nd minute completely changed the course of the match.

Although the match statistics showed a balanced contest where Spain possessed the ball 51% of the time, the difference in the quality of the chances created was decisive. While Spain produced 1.63 expected goals (xG), France left this figure at just 0.31. While the Spanish side created three clear goal opportunities in the match, not even a single dangerous chance was recorded for France.

Putting in a superior performance in defense as well, Spain left no space for the opponent's offensive players. Playing with 22 successful interventions and 22 clearances, Spain showcased one of the best defenses of the tournament. With this result, La Roja earned the right to compete in the World Cup final again, exactly sixteen years after winning the cup in South Africa in 2010.