July 14, 2026 · AT&T Stadium, Dallas
France 0–2 Spain: World Cup Semifinal Recap, Result & How Our Picks Did
Spain are into the World Cup final. In their semifinal at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Luis de la Fuente's side beat France 2–0, controlling the ball, smothering Kylian Mbappé, and taking their chances when they came. Mikel Oyarzabal converted a first-half penalty won by 18-year-old Lamine Yamal, Pedro Porro doubled the lead early in the second half, and Spain's defense did the rest — a sixth clean sheet of the tournament that carries the reigning European champions to their first World Cup final since they lifted the trophy in 2010. France, back-to-back finalists across the previous two World Cups, fall short for a second tournament running and trailed in a match for the first time all summer. Spain now meet Argentina in the final at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, July 19.
Spain went all the way — they beat Argentina 1–0 after extra time in the final at MetLife to win the World Cup.
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How Spain won it
Spain did what Spain do: they took the ball, kept it, and squeezed the life out of the game. The breakthrough came on 22 minutes, when Lamine Yamal drove into the box and was brought down by Lucas Digne. Mikel Oyarzabal stepped up and buried the penalty, and from that point France were chasing a match for the first time in the entire tournament.
The second goal arrived just before the hour. Pedro Porro struck on 55 minutes to make it 2–0, and a France side built to win tight games on the counter had no obvious route back into this one. Spain saw out the rest with the possession-and-position control that has defined their run, and Unai Simón's goal was barely troubled late on.
The night was as much about who went missing. Kylian Mbappé, France's captain and the tournament's most decisive attacker, was smothered — 15 touches and no shots in the first half, starved of the space behind Spain's line that his whole game depends on. France, back-to-back World Cup finalists across the previous two tournaments, never found the transition moments they had been waiting to spring.
It finished 2–0. The clean sheet was Spain's sixth of the tournament, and it sends the reigning European champions to their first World Cup final since they lifted the trophy in 2010. France go out at the semifinal stage and fall short of the final for a second straight World Cup.
How our picks did
We ran three pre-match picks on this tie. Here is how they graded out now that the result is in — two of the three landed.
- Spain to advance — won ✅. Our lead play. Spain controlled the game, took their chances, and never looked like surrendering the lead once they had it. Straightforward.
- Under 2.5 goals / Both Teams To Score – No — won ✅. The tactical angle came in on both counts: just two goals in the match, and France were blanked, so the Under landed and "Both Teams To Score – No" cashed on Spain's clean sheet.
- Kylian Mbappé anytime scorer — lost ❌. The one that missed. France's plan never got Mbappé into the space he needed, and he was kept quiet all night — no shot in the first half. A plus-money swing on a counter that never came.
Final tally: two winners and one loser, with the headline read — Spain to reach the final — proving correct.
Next: Spain in the final
Spain's reward is a place in the World Cup final against Argentina, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, on Sunday, July 19, 2026 (3:00 PM ET). It is the reigning European champions against the reigning world champions, and it is happening in New York's backyard. Spain lift-the-trophy odds are live at every NY-licensed book alongside the full final matchups — first goalscorer, correct score, and the outright.
For a complete breakdown of the final, see our World Cup Final betting guide.
New York's stake in this one
New York is one of the largest soccer markets in the country, and it is a European-diaspora city as much as an American one — which made a France–Spain semifinal a genuine local event even with the match itself out in Dallas. The Spanish and wider Hispanic following turned La Roja's win into a packed watch-party night across the metro area, and Spain reaching a final on this side of the Atlantic only raises the stakes for the enormous European-football audience here.
For New York bettors the practical picture is simple: every market on the final will be priced pre-game and live at the state's licensed mobile books, and you can wager from anywhere in New York provided you are 21 or older and physically inside state lines. With MetLife Stadium hosting the Final on July 19, Spain are now one win from lifting the trophy a short train ride from the city.
Bottom line
Spain were the more controlled side and deserved the result: a penalty won by Yamal and finished by Oyarzabal, a Porro strike to settle it, and a sixth clean sheet to carry them into the final. Two of our three pre-match picks landed, led by the call that mattered most — Spain to advance. The attention now shifts to Sunday at MetLife, where Spain meet Argentina for the World Cup. Confirm every price in-app before you commit.
The final is done: Spain beat Argentina 1–0 after extra time at MetLife to lift the World Cup.
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