England Beat France 6-4 to Claim Third Place as Mbappé Becomes World Cup’s All-Time Top Scorer
ZAYN MALIK Spain produced a dominant display to defeat tournament favourites France 2-0 in the FIFA World Cup semi-final on Tuesday, securing a place in Sunday’s final with a tactical masterclass at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 20th minute after Lamine Yamal was fouled inside the box. Pedro Porro doubled Spain’s advantage in the 58th minute, finishing a superb one-two with Dani Olmo to put the result beyond France.
Spain controlled the match through a commanding midfield performance led by Rodri, Fabian Ruiz and Dani Olmo, neutralising France’s star-studded attack featuring Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola and Michael Olise. Les Bleus struggled to create clear chances despite Mbappe threatening on several occasions.
France also suffered a setback when defender William Saliba was forced off injured in the first half, while Spain continued to dictate possession and denied Didier Deschamps’ side any route back into the contest.
The victory sends the 2010 world champions into the FIFA World Cup final, where they will face either Argentina or England in New Jersey, while France’s hopes of winning a third World Cup title came to an end.
