Spain beat France 2-0 to reach World Cup final
Spain shut down Kylian Mbappe and France in Arlington, ending a high-scoring run and sending Les Bleus into the third-place playoff.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
2 min read
Spain advanced to the World Cup final with a 2-0 win over France in Tuesday’s semifinal at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Al Jazeera reported. The result ended a French run built on attacking power and left Kylian Mbappe’s team heading to a third-place playoff instead of another final.
According to Al Jazeera, France had scored 16 goals in six matches before facing Spain, with Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola and Desire Doue central to that production. Against Spain, France did not record a shot on target until more than 75 minutes had been played.
Al Jazeera attributed Spain’s control to the work of Rodri, Dani Olmo and Fabian Ruiz in midfield. The trio limited the service into France’s forwards and kept Spain in command after it built a 2-0 lead.
The defeat closed France’s bid to return to the World Cup final and denied Mbappe a place in a rare group. Al Jazeera reported that a win would have made the 27-year-old Real Madrid forward only the second player, after Brazil’s Cafu in 1994, 1998 and 2002, to appear in three World Cup finals.
Mbappe and France will instead travel to Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium for Saturday’s third-place playoff, according to Al Jazeera. The outlet reported that Mbappe remained confident about France’s future, pointing to the squad’s talent and the 2028 European Championship ahead.
Pressure on France after semifinal exit
Didier Deschamps is set to leave his position as France manager, Al Jazeera reported. The semifinal loss is expected to sharpen scrutiny of how France approached Spain’s passing game after a tournament in which the team had looked capable of winning the title.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente celebrated on the field after the match, according to images distributed by Reuters and cited by Al Jazeera. Spanish players including Pedro Porro, Marc Cucurella, Mikel Oyarzabal and Dani Olmo were also pictured celebrating after the final whistle.
The win triggered celebrations in Madrid, where Spanish supporters gathered at Plaza de Colon, according to Anadolu and Reuters images cited by Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera also reported that Spain dedicated the semifinal victory to its supporters.
Images from the stadium showed spectators holding a Palestinian flag as Spanish players celebrated, according to an Associated Press photo cited by Al Jazeera. France’s players, including Mbappe, were pictured reacting after the loss as their World Cup run ended one match short of the final.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.