Spain have advanced to their second World Cup final after a dominant performance against France in the semi-final match in Dallas. The European champions secured a 2-0 victory, leaving many observers surprised by the ease with which France were overcome. Despite France entering the match as strong favourites, Spain’s collective effort and tactical control proved decisive.
Luis de la Fuente‘s side, who have maintained an unbeaten run of 37 matches, equal to Italy‘s record in international football, demonstrated their strength. They kept a clean sheet in six of their seven games in the tournament, highlighting their defensive solidity. The team’s journey to the final has seen them overcome challenges, including a draw against Cape Verde in their opening match and late winners against Portugal and Belgium in earlier knockout rounds.
The goals for Spain came from a Mikel Oyarzabal penalty and a finish by Pedro Porro. Oyarzabal converted his penalty after a foul on Lamine Yamal, while Porro’s goal followed a well-executed move, with Dani Olmo providing the assist. These two attempts on target were sufficient to secure Spain’s victory.
Spain’s Tactical Superiority
Spain’s approach focused on control, possession, and counter-pressing, effectively stifling France’s attacking threats. The midfield trio of Fabian Ruiz, Rodri, and Dani Olmo played a crucial role in dominating the central areas of the pitch. Olmo, operating as a roaming number 10, created numerical advantages in midfield and posed significant problems for France’s defence.
The tactical plan also exploited weaknesses in France’s defensive setup, particularly around their full-backs. Spain committed their own full-backs to attack, often creating two-on-one situations against France’s wide defenders. This strategy was evident in Porro’s goal, where he surged into space on France’s left side to score.
France’s highly-regarded attacking players, including Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, and Michael Olise, struggled to make an impact against Spain’s organised defence and midfield. Mbappé, who had been eager to make amends for previous tournament disappointments, found few clear opportunities, with his late efforts proving ineffective.
Former players and pundits noted Spain’s collective strength over France’s individual talent. Chris Sutton described Spain’s performance as a “masterclass,” while Roy Keane highlighted France’s failure to play as a cohesive unit. Patrick Vieira observed that Spain had dominated “every single aspect” of the game, particularly praising their tactical execution in neutralising Olise.
For France, the defeat means they will now prepare for the third-place play-off. Didier Deschamps‘ team faced difficulties, including an early booking for Adrien Rabiot and an injury to William Saliba shortly after Spain’s first goal. Malo Gusto was an unused substitute for France in the semi-final.
De la Fuente’s Journey to the Final
Spain’s manager, Luis de la Fuente, has guided the team to the World Cup final after previously leading them to a Nations League triumph in 2023 and Euro 2024 glory. His appointment in December 2022 was initially met with some scepticism, given his background managing Spain’s youth teams.
However, de la Fuente has responded emphatically to his doubters, fostering a strong team spirit and a collective identity. Many of the current squad members, including Oyarzabal, Dani Olmo, Rodri, and Unai Simon, have played under him in various youth categories, contributing to a deep understanding and camaraderie within the team.
Following the victory, de la Fuente received a phone call from King Felipe VI, acknowledging the team’s achievement. He expressed pride in his players, attributing their success to “effort, talent, sacrifice, trying to be a better version of ourselves,” and stated that the team had “recaptured the spirit of 2010.”
Spain will now face either Argentina or England in the World Cup final on Sunday. The other semi-final will determine their opponent, with England potentially setting up a repeat of the Euro 2024 final from two years prior.
Spain’s impressive statistics include:
- Equalling Italy’s record for the longest unbeaten run in international football with 37 matches.
- Five European players with the most combined appearances at the World Cup/European Championship without a loss, all playing for Spain: Aymeric Laporte (22), Oyarzabal (20), Fabian Ruiz (16), Mikel Merino (14), and Yamal (14).
- Lamine Yamal has never lost a game for Spain and holds the best 100% win rate for any European player starting in the two competitions, with 12 starts.
- Spain is the first team in World Cup history to achieve six clean sheets in a single edition of the tournament.
- The xG figure they faced against France (0.3) was the lowest in a semi-final since Brazil against Sweden in 1994.
The final match is scheduled for Sunday, while France will participate in the third-place play-off on Saturday.
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Source: bbc.com
George Hartwell is the Senior Football Correspondent at News-GB.org, covering the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side with twelve years of reporting experience. He reported on West Country football before national coverage. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from the University of the West of England and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Bristol, he watches grassroots football and writes a tactics column. “Tactics tell you more than any scoreline.”