Spain beat France to reach World Cup final

Spain are back in the World Cup final after a commanding 2-0 win over France on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas, ending the French team’s bid to reach a third straight final.

Mikel Oyarzabal scored from the penalty spot in the first half and Pedro Porro added a second after the break, sending Spain into Sunday’s title match at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Spain will face the winner of Wednesday’s semifinal between defending champion Argentina and England.

The victory puts Spain in the World Cup final for the second time. The Spaniards won the tournament in 2010 and are also the reigning European champions. France, the 2018 World Cup winner and 2022 runner-up, will play in the third-place match Saturday against the loser of the other semifinal, NPR reported.

Spain took control in the 22nd minute after teenager Lamine Yamal drew a foul in the penalty area. France defender Lucas Digne was trying to deal with an awkward bounce when Yamal, one day after his 19th birthday, raced in from behind to challenge. Digne kicked Yamal while attempting to clear the ball, and Oyarzabal converted the penalty for his fifth goal of the tournament.

The goal carried extra weight: It was the first time either Spain or France had trailed in seven games at this World Cup. It was also only the third goal France had conceded in the tournament. Spain has allowed just one.

France had an early scare of its own in the eighth minute when Adrien Rabiot received a yellow card for fouling Dani Olmo just outside the area. Alex Baena took the free kick, but his attempt went straight into the French wall.

Spain doubled the lead in the 58th minute. Olmo moved through the middle before the ball was worked from left to right to Porro, who exchanged passes with Olmo, entered the box and sidefooted a finish past France goalkeeper Mike Maignan into the bottom corner.

France pushed for a response but struggled to break through. Kylian Mbappé, who started after leaving France’s quarterfinal win over Morocco in the 77th minute, had chances in the second half. In the 64th minute, he drove down the left and forced Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón to turn away a shot from a tight angle. Late in stoppage time, Mbappé aimed toward the top right but sent his effort high and wide.

Ousmane Dembélé also threatened in added time, cutting in from the right and drawing a block from Simón before another curling attempt was claimed by the goalkeeper. Spain also had chances to extend the margin, including a disallowed Yamal finish in the 61st minute after he was flagged offside and a late header from Ferran Torres that went just wide.

Mbappé entered the semifinal among the leaders in the Golden Boot race. CBS News reported he had scored his eighth goal of the tournament against Morocco and was level with Argentina’s Lionel Messi, while NPR reported Mbappé had eight goals and three assists, just ahead of Messi with eight goals and two assists.

France had been trying to reach a third consecutive World Cup final after winning in 2018 and losing to Argentina in a penalty shootout four years ago. Instead, Spain moves on with a 37-game unbeaten streak, according to NPR, and a defense that has conceded once in the tournament.