Spain Storm Into the World Cup Final — How They Silenced France (And Who They Face Next)

Spain are back in a World Cup final for the first time since they lifted the trophy in 2010, after delivering a performance against France that left little room for debate. A 2-0 win at Dallas Stadium wasn't just a scoreline — it was a statement from a Spanish side that has now gone unbeaten in two years, and it sets up a mouth-watering final in New Jersey against the winner of England and Argentina. Here's how it happened, what it means, and what to expect from the final. How the Match Actually Unfolded For a fixture billed as a clash between France's explosive attack and Spain's suffocating defensive structure, the first half was largely a tactical standoff — neither side had trailed at any point across their first six matches of the tournament coming into this game. That changed in the 22nd minute, when Lucas Digne fouled a surging Lamine Yamal inside the box, giving Spain a penalty. Mikel Oyarzabal stepped up and finished calmly, sending Spain 1-0 ahead. France's difficulties compounded when an injury to defender William Saliba forced manager Didier Deschamps into an early substitution — never an ideal situation against a Spanish side that thrives on probing for exactly this kind of structural gap. Spain doubled their advantage in the 58th minute through a well-worked give-and-go between Pedro Porro and Dani Olmo, with Porro finishing coolly past goalkeeper Mike Maignan. Spain even had a legitimate case for a third when Yamal curled in a close-range effort, only for it to be ruled out for offside. At the other end, Unai Simón was rarely troubled, making two comfortable saves as Spain's defence restricted France's dangerous front three — Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, and Michael Olise — to a combined expected-goals figure of just 0.3 from ten shots, with only three actually on target. For a France side that had scored 16 goals in six matches on their way to the semifinal, that level of containment tells its own story. The Numbers Behind Spain's Dominance This wasn't a fluke or a backs-against-the-wall smash-and-grab result — the underlying numbers back up Spain's dominance across the entire tournament. Spain had conceded just a single goal through their first six matches before this semifinal, and their unbeaten run now stretches to 37 matches over two years: 28 wins, 9 draws, zero defeats. That's not the record of a team riding luck; it's the record of a genuinely elite, well-drilled side peaking at exactly the right moment. France, by contrast, arrived at the semifinal as the tournament's most eye-catching attacking side, having racked up 16 goals against just 2 conceded across their six matches — numbers that made them favourites in the eyes of many neutral observers heading into this fixture. But Spain's defensive setup neutralised that threat almost completely, a reminder that raw attacking output means little against a team specifically built to shut it down. The Yamal-Mbappé Subplot Before the match, teenage Spanish sensation Lamine Y