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Spain produced a disciplined and dominant display to defeat France 2-0 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi final, booking their place in Sunday's final against either England or Argentina.

Luis de la Fuente's side continued their impressive run against France, recording a third consecutive victory over Les Bleus after also defeating them in the UEFA Euro 2024 and UEFA Nations League 2025 semi finals.

Spain took the lead in the first half when Mikel Oyarzabal converted a penalty after Lamine Yamal was fouled inside the box. France suffered another setback when defender William Saliba was forced off with a back injury before half time.

The European champions remained in control throughout the match, limiting the influence of France stars Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise with an organised defensive performance led by Rodri.

Spain doubled their advantage early in the second half when Pedro Porro finished off a flowing team move to make it 2-0, effectively ending France's hopes of reaching a third consecutive World Cup final.

France pushed for a comeback, but goalkeeper Unai Simon produced several important saves to preserve Spain's clean sheet. Mbappe's frustration was evident late in the match when he received a yellow card following a collision with the Spanish goalkeeper.

The victory extends Spain's unbeaten run to 37 matches, equalling Italy's record, and sends La Roja into only the second World Cup final in the nation's history.

Spain will now face the winner of the second semi final between England and Argentina, while France will play in the third place playoff.

 

 

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