Spain beats France 2-0 to reach World Cup final

SALADIN, Iraq — Spain advanced to the 2026 FIFA World Cup final with a 2-0 victory over France in the semifinal in Dallas. The match was decided in the first half when referee awarded Spain a penalty in the 20th minute after Lucas Diné fouled Lamine Yamal inside the box. Mikel Oyarzabal converted the spot kick in the 22nd minute to give Spain a 1-0 halftime lead. Spain doubled its advantage in the 58th minute through Pedro Porro, who finished a powerful shot from inside the area after a pass from Dani Olmo. Spain controlled possession throughout the match and limited France's attacking chances. Spain will face the winner of Wednesday's semifinal between Argentina and England in the final, while France will play the loser of that match for third place. France had advanced to the semifinals after topping its group with wins over Senegal (3-1), Iraq (3-0) and Norway (4-1), before eliminating Sweden (3-0), Paraguay (1-0) and Morocco (2-0). Spain reached the semifinals after drawing with Cape Verde 0-0 and beating Saudi Arabia (4-0) and Uruguay (1-0) to finish atop its group.