ARLINGTON, Texas – In a dramatic, high-stakes World Cup semifinal that showcased the perfect blend of youthful brilliance and veteran poise, Spain secured a historic 2-0 victory over top-ranked France on Tuesday to advance to its first men’s World Cup final since lifting the trophy in 2010.
The match was defined by a standout performance from 19-year-old prodigy Lamine Yamal, who set the tone for Spain’s win just 24 hours after celebrating his birthday. It was Yamal’s sharp, aggressive run that created the opening goal of the match in the 22nd minute. After forcing France defender Lucas Digne into a mistake deep in the penalty area, Yamal was fouled by the 32-year-old veteran as he challenged for the loose ball, drawing a clear penalty call. Mikel Oyarzabal stepped up to convert the spot kick, notching his fifth goal of the 2025 World Cup and putting Spain ahead – the first time either side had fallen behind in any of their matches across the tournament.
The second goal came in the 58th minute, when Pedro Porro finished a smooth give-and-go combination with attacking midfielder Dani Olmo to extend Spain’s lead to 2-0. Moments later, Yamal thought he had added a third goal of his own, only for the close-range strike to be ruled out by an offside flag that cut short the teenager’s celebration.
For France, the result brings a disappointing end to their bid to make history as only the third men’s team ever to reach three consecutive World Cup finals. Les Bleus will now shift their focus to the third-place match, scheduled for Saturday in Miami Gardens, Florida.
The win also extended Spain’s recent dominance over France in major tournament semifinals, marking the third consecutive summer that La Roja has eliminated France at this stage of a top competition. Most recently, Yamal scored in a 2-1 Spain win over France in the 2024 European Championship semifinals, just days before his 17th birthday, and Spain claimed a 5-4 victory over the French in a Nations League semifinal last year.
After Spain’s quarterfinal win over Belgium last Friday, Yamal made a bold prediction that France should fear his side. On Tuesday, that bold claim proved to be entirely well-founded.
Spain will now wait to learn their final opponent, who will be either defending champion Argentina or 2018 runner-up England. The two remaining semifinalists face off Wednesday in Atlanta, with the final scheduled for Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, just across the Hudson River from New York City.