Spain have secured a place in the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating France 2-0 in the first semi-final played on Tuesday in Arlington, Texas.
The victory means La Roja, who won the World Cup in 2010 and are the reigning European champions, have become the first team to qualify for Sunday’s final.
Spain will now face the winners of Wednesday’s second semi-final between England and Argentina. The losing team from that match will take on France in the third-place play-off on Saturday in Miami.
The result is a major disappointment for France and head coach Didier Deschamps, whose side had hoped to reach another World Cup final but will now have to settle for the battle for third place.
Argentina will head into Wednesday’s semi-final chasing history, as the South Americans seek to become only the third country to win back-to-back FIFA World Cup titles, following Italy’s triumphs in 1934 and 1938 and Brazil’s victories in 1958 and 1962.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup final will be played on Sunday at the New York/New Jersey Stadium, officially known as MetLife Stadium, in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States.
The stadium, which serves as the home ground of the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets, has hosted seven matches during the tournament and will stage the final at 8 p.m. Nigerian time.