Spain beat France 2-nil to reach FIFA World Cup 2026™ finals, after a 16 year wait. French star Mbappé calls France 'sloppy' after semifinal loss. Spanish forward Mikel Oyarzabal scored a shot into the right side from the penalty spot to give Spain the lead. Pedro Porro doubled Spain's advantage. France's Michael Olise struck 2023–24 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri with his boot. Fans question why Olise escaped a red card. Mbappe threatened, Ousmane Dembélé came close, Désiré Doué made an attempt, Bradley Barcola looked dangerous, but Spain's goalkeeper Unai Simon continued to control the rhythm, with remarkable saves. Join your host Haylena Krishnamoorthy for this episode of World Cup Daily | The 90+ Podcast, as she talks to SBS French Executive Producer Christophe Mallet to understand what this result means for the nation.
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TRANSCRIPT:
One match. One place in the World Cup final.
Did France find a way through?
Or did Spain prove they're the team to beat?
This is SBS News World Cup Daily, The 90+ Podcast, where we bring you the stories from on and beyond the pitch. And I'm your host, Haylena Krishnamoorthy.
Christophe Mallet: "Kudos to Spain, I think today's story is Spain won, it's not necessary that France lost."
After a 16 year wait, Spain is through to its second ever FIFA World Cup final after beating France two-nil [[2-0]] in their semi-final.
For the first time in FIFA World Cup history, the final four features the world's top-ranked teams.
ON THE PITCH
And today, more than 70,000 fans packed into Dallas stadium before kick-off.
It was for two football powerhouses, packed with tactical intrigue, moments of brilliance, and a place in history on the line.
French supporters arrived believing this could finally be Kylian Mbappé's tournament.
The 27-year-old came into the match with 20 World Cup goals from 20 matches.
Across the stadium, Spain's supporters in full force with a sense of pride.
There was also a moment of silence, marking ten years since the Bastille Day terror attack in Nice, where 86 people lost their lives.
Once the whistle blew, the football delivered exactly what many expected - a tactical battle between two of the tournament's favourites.
France, under coach Didier Deschamps, have looked every bit the experienced tournament team before today's match.
Organised defensively, clinical when opportunities arise, comfortable without needing long spells of possession.
Meanwhile for Spain, this World Cup hasn't been as straightforward for them.
They've faced some challenges on the pitch.
This includes one of the tournament's biggest shocks - a nil-nil draw against Cape Verde.
But they've managed to stay true to their identity - with patience and precision.
And they did exactly that today - they kept the ball and managed to stretch France.
In the 15th minute, France's Michael Olise struck Manchester City's midfielder and 2023–24 Ballon d'Or Ballon d’Or winner Rodri with his boot.
It didn't look good - and fans online have questioned why Olise escaped a red card.
Spain continued to hold possession.
Then came the breakthrough.
Spanish forward Mikel Oyarzabal scored a shot into the right side from the penalty spot to give Spain the lead.
The penalty was awarded after Lucas Digne kicked Lamine Yamal while trying to clear a ball in the box.
Supporters erupted not only inside the stadium but around the world.
My colleague John Baldock sent these scenes from Atlanta of fans dancing in the rain, when they learnt another World Cup final was within reach.
And in Australia, celebrations broke out in Melbourne, and here in Sydney.
My colleagues, Jasmine Kassis and Blake Quinn, captured these scenes at a pub in Bondi while speaking with Spanish fans.
Voxxies: "We have Lamine Yamal, we have Cubarsi, lots of players..the best one//BUT..I think I have a little bit of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) of not being home but at the same time, I'm really proud that we have an amazing community and are actually watching this match together.."
And then again in the second half.
Pedro Porro doubled Spain's advantage, finishing off a flowing move that showcased exactly why this side has been so impressive throughout the tournament.
France pushed back, but Spain's defensive discipline held firm.
There was frustration for France, including this.
Mbappe threatened, (Ousmane) Dembélé came close, (Désiré) Doué made an attempt, (Bradley) Barcola looked dangerous.
But Spain's goalkeeper Unai Simon continued to control the rhythm, with remarkable saves.
If you've been listening to The 90+, today's guest will already be a familiar voice.
To break down the match, I caught up with SBS French Executive Producer and SBS Sport journalist, Christophe Mallet.
"Disappointment, mega disappointment. I think, from the people I can see in the street is, there was a true, true belief that France could go all the way and win the tournament, and I think, well, last time we spoke, you and I, I said, anything else but a final would be a disappointment, then here we are. Massive, massive disappointment for a nation of nearly 65 or 70 million people."
He says France didn't display their full potential today.
"I think they knew that Spain was always gonna be a difficult team to score goals to. They've got, X number of clean sheets in a row. I can't remember if it's five or six, in a row. But anyway, they have a really massive track record of clean sheets. So they knew from the word go that it would be absolutely difficult to score goals, and when you go one-nil down, then you make yourself, even more of a target. So, from what I saw from the match, I would say France was not the France that we saw all the way along. So whether or not they they struggled, but what Didier Deschamps actually said is they - France didn't play well because Spain didn't let them play well."
After the match, Didier Deschamps said the players are devastated, but they have to be clear-headed.
"There’s always an attacking force and a defensive force, and Spain knew how to defend well. I knew to expect that having watched all their matches.Today they did a great job; they left little space and, as we’ve said, there were technical errors on our side. It’s hard to cause them problems if the technical level is lower than what we’ve seen in the other matches."
Christophe - who's at the French state of Vichy at the moment for this year's Tour de France - commends Spain's performance.
"Spain played the match perfectly well. They played France perfectly well. They controlled the ball. It's not necessarily France that has lost this match. That's what Didier Deschamps said in the interview straight after the match. Spain was way better there tonight. So again, I don't think it's France that lost the match, it's definitely Spain that truly, truly won the match."
At full-time, Spain had done enough.
Another composed display, another statement performance - and a place in the FIFA World Cup Final.
"There is a bronze medal to win and it will be against the team that loses tomorrow, between Argentina and and England. So there is still, a match to play and, I, I think, the lesson is they want to fight for that bronze medal. With the level of football they've displayed, it would be an absolutely tragedy if they would leave this, this World Cup empty-handed. But you know the irony, today is the 14th of July. It's Bastille Day. It's the National Day in France, so not the best way to, to celebrate the, the National Day today."
It's a heartbreak for France - after being the 2018 winners and 2022 World Cup runner-ups.
And the Mbappé dream?
Christophe says everyone is entitled to a bad match.
"I think Mbappé was an idol for a lot of the young generation, and I think tomorrow morning when they wake up, despite the defeat, he will still be an idol. Let's not forget what's been done by this team all across the tournament. It's won by match, but well, at that level, when you lose the match, you're out. But let's also say that the football that France displayed all along the tournament was borderline extraordinary, and Mbappé has been borderline extraordinary. So the competition with Messi, it took Messi six World Cup to arrive where he's at in the number of goals in his career in a World Cup. So Mbappé's got another three World Cups ahead of him to equal him, equal Messi."
ARGENTINA-ENGLAND PREVIEW
All eyes now turn to tomorrow, when England take on reigning champions Argentina.
It's the first time Lionel Messi has ever faced England at a World Cup, and the 39-year-old will be hoping to add to his tournament record.
He's already sitting on an incredible 21 World Cup goals, across six World Cups.
For England fans, memories of the 1986 World Cup are never far away when Diego Maradona's infamous "Hand of God" goal helped Argentina on their way to victory, before they eventually lifted the trophy.
And 40 years on, this rivalry carries plenty of history.
"Too hard to predict, but, uh, experience of Argentina, uh, should let, should, should put them through. And if Argentina knocks off England, we're set for a match with plenty of political edge."
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Argentine President Javier Milei have been locked in a bitter diplomatic feud since 2024.
If both Argentina and Spain meet in the finals, the political backstory will make it feel like much more than just a game.
Spain's coach Luis de La Fuente weighs both teams his side could play against.
“I’m be very excited to face Argentina, because of the friendship I have with Lionel Scaloni, but I have enormous respect for England’s footballing potential that in my opinion, even before coming here to the World Cup, I think I named England as one of the real contenders. It’s going to be a very closely fought match between two great teams, but we look forward to facing either of them with open arms.”
I'll be back with you tomorrow with the updates on that defining [[Argentina-England]] semi final match.
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