Spain defeated France 2-0 in a FIFA World Cup semifinal match on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas. The victory secures Spain’s first appearance in a World Cup final since the team won the tournament in 2010. Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring with a penalty kick in the 22nd minute, and Pedro Porro doubled the lead in the 58th minute.
The opening goal followed a foul by French defender Lucas Digne on 19-year-old Lamine Yamal inside the penalty area. Oyarzabal’s successful strike marked his fifth goal of the tournament. Later in the second half, Porro scored following a sequence with teammate Dani Olmo. A subsequent potential goal by Yamal was disallowed due to an offside ruling.
France, the top-ranked team by FIFA entering the match, was seeking a third consecutive World Cup final appearance. With this loss, France will instead compete in the third-place match on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Florida. Spain will move on to the final on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where they will face the winner of the semifinal match between Argentina and England.