Oyarzabal Penalty Sinks France as Spain March to World Cup Final
Spain Are Going to the Final
A nation that entered this tournament unbeaten and utterly relentless sent France home on a Tuesday night that will sting for a generation. Spain dismantled Les Bleus with the cold efficiency that has defined their entire 2026 campaign, booking a place in the World Cup Final with a composed, commanding 2-0 victory that was never seriously in doubt.
Key Moment
The tie turned on a moment of controversy before the half-hour mark. Spain were awarded a penalty on 22 minutes, and Mikel Oyarzabal Ugarte stepped up to drive the spot kick home, silencing whatever noise France had managed to generate. The award rattled France's composure and altered the game's psychology entirely. Adrien Rabiot-Provost had already picked up a yellow card inside eight minutes, a sign of how frantic and fractured France looked from the opening whistle.
With Spain controlling possession and territory in the second half, Pedro Antonio Porro Sauceda put the tie to bed on 58 minutes, finishing with the kind of clinical certainty that has become Spain's calling card throughout this tournament. Kylian Mbappé Lottin, France's best hope of a miracle, could do nothing but collect a late yellow card as frustration mounted.
Form Told the Story
Spain came into this semi-final with a perfect five-from-five record at World Cup 2026, having not dropped a single point or conceded a goal in open play that mattered. France had won four straight after an opening stumble, but that opening loss — this very fixture in reverse — was now their defining wound. Spain had already solved the French puzzle once. They solved it again.
Betting Implications
This result confirms what the markets have been whispering for weeks: Spain are the form team of this entire tournament and deserve to be favored in the Final. Any futures ticket on La Roja to lift the trophy is now live and in the money. A defense that has been airtight all competition and a midfield that controls every game they enter will make Spain a short price when Final odds are posted.
Watch for Spain to open as clear favorites when the Final line drops — back them early before the market adjusts.