BY OUR CHIEF FOOTBALL WRITER
THE STARS of Hollywood might be down the road, but it was Spain’s footballing royalty who put on a multi-million-pound masterclass in Texas to leave Kylian Mbappé and his French flops crying into their cowboy hats.
On France’s very own Bastille Day, Didier Deschamps’ men expected a revolution. Instead, they got a total execution. Spain’s magnificent matadors danced around them with the swagger of a team that already has one hand on the golden trophy.
A penalty from Real Sociedad’s ice-cool hitman Mikel Oyarzabal and a thunderous second-half rocket from Tottenham’s Pedro Porro sealed a ruthless 2-0 victory that felt like a changing of the guard.
For Mbappé, the dream of a second World Cup crown lay in tatters under the brutal Dallas sun. France had not trailed for a single second in this entire tournament. On Tuesday night, they barely had a sniff of the ball.
Digne’s Disaster and Oyarzabal’s Ice
France looked dishevelled from the opening whistle. The first warning sign came just eight minutes in when Adrien Rabiot, lunging wildly, picked up a yellow card that set the tone for a chaotic French defensive display.
But the real drama unfolded in the 21st minute. Spain’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal—the 18-year-old wizard who continues to defy belief—danced inside the French box with terrifying ease. Lucas Digne, completely misjudging a flighted ball, spun in panic and tried to clear, only to kick the lingering leg of the nimble Yamal.
It was a cheap way to give away a penalty, and Digne knew it, putting his head in his hands. Up stepped Mikel Oyarzabal. Under intense pressure, with the weight of a nation on his shoulders, he lashed the spot-kick beautifully into the right side of the net.
French keeper Mike Maignan guessed the right way but stood no chance against such devastating precision. Spain was 1-0 up, and France’s legendary defensive shield was officially shattered.
To make matters worse for Didier Deschamps, Arsenal titan William Saliba walked off injured just minutes later, replaced by Maxence Lacroix. France looked utterly disorganised and flailing.
Deschamps hauled off the booked Rabiot at half-time, bringing on Manu Koné to find some bite. But Spain, marshalled by the majestic Rodri in midfield, simply refused to let France play.
In the 58th minute, Spain put the game out of reach. Dani Olmo linked up with Fabián Ruiz, working the ball out wide to the charging Pedro Porro. The Spurs full-back did not hesitate.
From the edge of the penalty box, he unleashed a fierce, low drive that swerved furiously past Maignan’s despairing dive to double Spain’s lead.
The Spanish bench erupted. Over in the French technical area, Deschamps threw his hands in the air in disgust. He immediately rang the changes, throwing on Rayan Cherki and Theo Hernández, but it was far too little, far too late.
As the clock ticked down, France’s frustration boiled over. A desperate Kylian Mbappé, completely marked out of the game by Dani Carvajal and Marc Cucurella, was booked in the 86th minute for a petulant challenge—the perfect visual representation of a superstar who had completely run out of ideas.
When the final whistle blew, Spain’s players fell to the turf in celebration, knowing they are heading to East Rutherford, New Jersey, for Sunday’s massive showpiece at MetLife Stadium.
For Spain, it is a chance to win their first World Cup since the golden era of 2010. For France, it is back to the drawing board.
Looking at the final match statistics, the story of Spanish dominance is written in black and white. Spain completely controlled the tempo of the game with an impressive fifty-six percent of total possession, forcing France to chase shadows for long spells.
Spain registered twelve total shots, with five of those testing the keeper, whereas a toothless France managed just six shots in ninety minutes, with only a solitary shot actually landing on target.
Discipline was heavily tested in this high-octane encounter. France committed fourteen fouls to Spain’s eleven, with the referee handing out yellow cards to France’s Adrien Rabiot and Kylian Mbappé, while Spain’s Marc Cucurella was the only player cautioned in red and gold.
Spain also earned six corner kicks compared to France’s three, proving they were the team constantly asking questions.
Spain is final-bound, and football might just be coming home to Madrid!
