ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) 鈥� Spain鈥檚 defensive prowess and swagger were just too much for an attacking trio led by , and just enough to get the 2010 champions into another final.
The Spanish team managed a record sixth shutout in seven games so far, winning 2-0 in the semifinals Tuesday against one of the most prolific scorers in World Cup history.
Teenager Lamine Yamal certainly was correct when he . That despite FIFA’s top-ranked team being led by Mbapp茅 鈥� their captain with 20 goals in his 20 World Cup games before the semifinals 鈥� Ballon d鈥橭r winner Ousmane Demb茅l茅 and Michael Olise, who has a tournament-high five assists.
鈥淲e were up against one of the best national teams in the world, but today, they were facing the best team in the world,鈥� Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said.
Mikel Oyarzabal scored from the penalty spot after a heady play by Yamal drew a foul, and Pedro Porro added another goal to put Spain in its second World Cup final.
A day after his 19th birthday, Yamal was denied a goal on a close offside call that came soon after Porro’s give-and-go with Dani Olmo in the 58th minute had put Spain up 2-0. But it was Yamal’s smart play against a veteran defender that gave Spain the early lead.
Spain will face either defending champion Argentina or England on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, across the river from New York City.
鈥淪o difficult to get to this moment, but we want more,” Spain midfielder Rodri said. 鈥淲e want to win this World Cup.鈥�
After trying to become only the third team to reach three consecutive World Cup finals, France instead will play in the third-place game in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Saturday.
鈥淪pain has been able to defend well,鈥� said through a translator. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e closed out all the spaces and also we鈥檝e made some technical mistakes. So it is difficult to create problems when the technical level is below standard.鈥�
play Wednesday in Atlanta in the second powerhouse semifinal match.
This win on soccer鈥檚 biggest stage marked the third summer in a row that Spain beat France in a tournament semifinal match. Yamal scored in a semifinals just days before his 17th birthday, and La Roja won 5-4 in Nations League play last year.
Yamal was quick to point out that France should be concerned after Spain’s quarterfinal win over Belgium set up another semifinal matchup.
“It鈥檚 a team who loves to have control of the game, control of the ball. That鈥檚 what we let them do,” said Mbapp茅, who got none of his three shots on target. 鈥淚t鈥檚 difficult when you don鈥檛 change the play of Spain.鈥�
Spain has outscored opponents 12-1 since a to open group play. The lone goal allowed by goalkeeper was in the quarterfinal game against Belgium that snapped his World Cup record of 650 scoreless minutes.
This World Cup run has extended Spain’s unbeaten streak in regular time to 37 matches (28 wins and nine draws) since March 2024. That broke the country鈥檚 previous record of 35 in a row from 2007-09.
The loss broke France鈥檚 record-matching streak of six consecutive World Cup wins, which the team also accomplished in the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.
Oyarzabal鈥檚 penalty kick in the 22nd minute came after Yamal drew a foul when kicked by defender Lucas Digne.
After a poor first touch with his head, Digne was trying to clear the ball when Yamal raced in from behind to challenge in the penalty area. The ball hit off the elbow of the leaping teen before he was kicked by Digne, playing in his 63rd game for France only six days before his 33rd birthday.
Oyarzabal鈥檚 fifth goal of this year鈥檚 World Cup marked the first time either team had trailed in their seven games in this tournament. It was his 30th goal in 60 international games for Spain.
For the second goal, Porro broke free and received a pass back from Olmo, who got the touch just before getting knocked off his feet by defender Dayot Upamecano.
鈥淲e knew that we鈥檙e a very tough team, we鈥檙e doing things really well,” Porro said.
France allowed only two goals in its first six games in this tournament.
Spain had two other real scoring chances in the first half.
There was the a free kick from just beyond the box after Adrien Rabiot drew a yellow card for a foul on Olmo in the eighth minute. Alex Baena鈥檚 kick went directly into the wall of French players.
After France goalkeeper Mike Maignan鈥檚 attempted clearing pass in the 38th minute instead went straight to Baena, there were several quick passes before Fabian Ruiz’s close-range shot was denied on a nifty play by Upamecano.
Mbapp茅, who is tied with Argentina great Lionel Messi with a tournament-high eight goals and leads the race for the Golden Boot on the assist tiebreaker, still has the third-place match to add to his tally. Messi has two games left in his sixth World Cup to try to win the Golden Boot and also increase his overall record of 21 goals at the tournament.
鈥淎s the captain, I have to take all the responsibility and I have no problem with that,鈥� Mbapp茅 said. “We wanted to go to the final. We didn鈥檛 go.鈥�
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