Spain secured a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final on Tuesday (14) after a 2-0 victory over France at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, USA. The semifinal match between the two top-ranked teams in the FIFA rankings arrived with significant expectations.

To mark the special occasion, UFC announcer Bruce Buffer introduced both France and Spain as they took the pitch.

⚽ The match

Once play began, Spain proved unfazed by France’s undefeated record in the tournament. Only 20 minutes into the game, Lucas Digne fouled Lamine Yamal inside the penalty area. Mikel Oyarzabal subsequently opened the scoring with a shot clocked at 120 km/h.

Goalkeeper Mike Maignan, who had maintained a perfect record throughout the knockout stages—including wins against Sweden, Paraguay, and Morocco—could not stop Oyarzabal’s effort. With this goal, Oyarzabal reached five goals in a single World Cup, matching the records set by Emilio Butragueño in 1986 and David Villa in 2010. Furthermore, he tallied 14 goals for Spain during the 2025/26 season, surpassing David Villa’s 2008/09 record of 13.

France struggled to find their rhythm in the second half, failing to record a single shot on target against Unai Simon during the first 45 minutes. Spain capitalized on this momentum when Pedro Porro combined with Dani Olmo to enter the box and double the lead.

Lamine Yamal, who stated before the match that he did not fear France, nearly added a third goal, but officials ruled the play offside by a narrow margin.

As the final minutes ticked away, the crowd chanted “olé” in support of Spain. The team has now reached 37 consecutive matches without defeat, matching the historic streak set by Italy between October 2018 and October 2021. Spain’s last loss occurred on March 22, 2024, in a 1-0 friendly defeat against Colombia. In the 2025 Nations League final, Spain fell to Portugal on penalties, though the result was officially recorded as a 2-2 draw.

🚦 What happens now

Following their victory over France—a team they also defeated in the Euro 2024 semifinal and the 2025 Nations League—the 2010 world champions now wait for the outcome of the match between Argentina and England.

The World Cup final will take place next Sunday (19) in New Jersey, USA, at 4 p.m. Brasília time. The third-place playoff is scheduled for next Saturday (18) in Miami, USA, at 6 p.m. Brasília time.