Spain beats France to reach first World Cup final since 2010

Pedro Porro’s 58th-minute goal finished France in Dallas Stadium and sent Spain into its first World Cup final since 2010, a 2-0 semifinal win built on control, defensive order and Unai Simón’s saves. Mikel Oyarzabal had given Spain the lead from the penalty spot in the 22nd minute, and France never found a way through a side that managed the game with the calm of a team that knew exactly what it was doing.

The result carried Spain into only its second World Cup final, 16 years after lifting the trophy in Sudáfrica. Spain will meet the winner of England-Argentina in New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, while France, which arrived with hopes of reaching a third straight final, was reduced to chasing the match rather than shaping it. Spain had gone five matches without conceding a goal, a sequence not seen at a World Cup since Italy in 1990.

Porro was central to that shift. The Tottenham Hotspur full-back had made the right side of Spain his own during the tournament after Dani Carvajal’s absence. He added his first international goal against Austria in the previous round, then struck again against France and was named FIFA’s Superior Player of the Match. His afternoon ended early because the physical load had become too much, with Marcos Llorente ready in reserve.

After the final whistle, Porro said, “Es un sueño hecho realidad, estoy muy feliz.” He added that he had been replaced because “No podía más y Marcos (Llorente) estaba pendiente de si yo podía seguir. Esto es de todos.”