Spain Beat France 2-0 to Reach World Cup Final
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- Spain beat France 2-0 in Dallas to reach their first World Cup final since 2010, and will face either England or Argentina in New Jersey on Sunday.
- Mikel Oyarzabal scored his fifth goal of the tournament from the penalty spot after Lamine Yamal won it, while Pedro Porro added a "wonderful goal" to seal the win.
- Lamine Yamal "came alive" in the semi-final after struggling to turn on style earlier in the World Cup, winning the penalty and having a goal ruled out for offside.
- Rodri earned the highest player rating of 9 in what the source called an "outstanding" performance as Spain's midfield suffocated France from start to finish.
- Unai Simon kept his sixth clean sheet in seven matches, rushing out of his box to make a vital clearance before Mbappe could pounce.
- France failed to respond after falling behind for the first time at the tournament, with William Saliba forced off injured and Kylian Mbappe limited to two touches in Spain's penalty area in the first half.
- Aymeric Laporte was rated 8 with a passing accuracy above 90%, while the highest-rated France player was the injured Saliba at just 6 — every other French starter scored 5 or below.
Why it matters: France's first deficit of the tournament left them exposed — every starter rated 5 or below, with Mbappe limited to two first-half touches in Spain's box. Spain, back in a World Cup final for the first time since 2010, now await the winner of England v Argentina in New Jersey on Sunday.
