“We Controlled The Match And Derserved The Win” – Cucurella

Spain Beat France 2-0 to Reach 2026 World Cup Final

Spain are through to the FIFA World Cup final for the first time since 2010 after a dominant 2-0 win over France at AT&T Stadium.

La Roja controlled the semifinal from start to finish and deservedly booked their place in the final.

Spain took the lead in the 22nd minute. Lucas Digne brought down Lamine Yamal inside the box, and referee Ivan Barton from El Salvador pointed to the spot without needing VAR. Mikel Oyarzabal converted the penalty to make it 1-0.

France trailed at halftime and struggled to respond after the break.

13 minutes into the second half, a one-two between Dani Olmo and Pedro Porro saw the defender find space in the box, control, and slot home to double Spain’s lead. The goal sent La Roja fans into wild celebrations.

Yamal thought he had made it 3-0 late on, but the goal was ruled out for offside.

By the final whistle, France had been completely outplayed. Most of Les Bleus’ stars failed to deliver, and Spain were worthy winners.

Pedro Porro was named Man of the Match.

Reactions

Pedro Porro:
“We are happy to have reached the World Cup Final, but we are especially happy with the way we played against this France team.”
On a potential final vs Argentina: `”In this scenario, they are the BEST team in the world.”

Rodri:
“I’m very proud of my team. We have to rest and recover properly. The team has been sensational; we needed everybody’s help.”

Rayan Cherki:
“This is a huge DISAPPOINTMENT. France didn’t play the football we know, and Spain played the football they know.”
“Sure, the referee wasn’t up to the task, but he didn’t disallow any of our goals.

If we had played better, we would have won.”
“We lacked EVERYTHING. It’s a match every 4 years… Maybe in a lifetime; it’s hard.”
“Every team was afraid of us. The only team that beat us was ourselves.”

Didier Deschamps:
On the penalty controversy: “I won’t talk about this today. I will come across as whining just because we lost the match.”
“The fourth and fifth referees were by my side and were at a high level, but unfortunately, they were not listened to.”

Marc Cucurella:
“We controlled the match and deserved the win. We have a chance to make history just like Spain’s last generation did. They won the Euro and then went on to win the World Cup.”

Luis de la Fuente:
“I make few excuses and have complained little, but who would have thought I’d find myself on the verge of a World Cup final?”
“France are great but today they had to face the BEST team in the WORLD.”

Kylian Mbappe:
“We didn’t play the match we had prepared for. When you don’t do what you’re supposed to do in a World Cup semifinal, you don’t win.”
“Spain stayed true to their game plan. If we are honest, we did not have what it takes to go to the final.”

“There were too many technical errors. It wasn’t up to the standard of a World Cup semi-final.”
“Our dream was to reach the final. Right from the start, we were pressing 3 against 2. We MESSED up there. Against Spain, you have to press MAN-FOR-MAN. And even when we won the ball back, our touches and movement WERE NOT worthy of a World Cup SEMIFINAL.”

Key Stats & Context

• The last time France lost a World Cup semifinal was in 1986, when Argentina went on to win the tournament.
• France in their last 8 World Cups:
  🏆 1998 – CHAMPIONS
  ❌ 2002 – Group Stage
  🥈 2006 – Runners-up
  ❌ 2010 – Group Stage
  ❌ 2014 – Quarterfinal
  🏆 2018 – CHAMPIONS
  🥈 2022 – Runners-up
  ❌ 2026 – Semifinal exit
  France remain the #1 ranked team in the world.
• Spain’s defensive record at World Cup 2026: Only 1 goal conceded
  0-0 vs Cape Verde, 4-0 vs Saudi Arabia, 1-0 vs Uruguay, 3-0 vs Austria, 1-0 vs Portugal, 2-1 vs Belgium, 2-0 vs France
• Mikel Oyarzabal has now scored 5 World Cup goals for Spain, equalling Emilio Butragueño, Fernando Morientes and Raúl. Only David Villa has more with 9.
• Pedro Porro becomes only the second defender to score 2 goals for Spain in a single World Cup, after Fernando Hierro in 1998 and 2002.