{"id":4972,"date":"2026-07-15T07:03:30","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T07:03:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=4972"},"modified":"2026-07-15T07:03:30","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T07:03:30","slug":"stingy-spain-shuts-down-kylian-mbappe-france-to-advance-to-world-cup-final","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=4972","title":{"rendered":"Stingy Spain shuts down Kylian Mbapp\u00e9, France to advance to World Cup final"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<div>\n<p><span>ARLINGTON, Texas \u2014 Mikel Oyarzabal scored from the penalty spot after a heady play by teenager Lamine Yamal, Pedro Porro added another goal, and Spain advanced to its first World Cup final since winning in 2010 with a 2-0 victory over France Tuesday. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=4970\">Willson Contreras, Ceddanne Rafaela, Aroldis Chapman enjoyed star-studded experience in AL\u2019s shutout of NL at All-Star Game<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span>A day after his 19th birthday, Yamal was denied a goal on a close offside call that came soon after Porro\u2019s give-and-go with Dani Olmo in the 58th minute had put Spain up by two. But it was Yamal\u2019s smart play against a veteran defender that put Spain in the lead.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThey were facing the best team in the world,\u201d Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><span>Spain, which will play in the final for only the second time, will face either defending champion Argentina or England on Sunday (3 p.m.) in East Rutherford, N.J.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cSo difficult to get to this moment, but we want more,\u201d midfielder Rodri said. \u201cWe want to win this World Cup.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 and France, FIFA\u2019s top-ranked team, were trying to become only the third team to reach three consecutive World Cup finals. They instead will play in the third-place game in Miami Saturday, the day before the final at MetLife Stadium across the river from New York City. Argentina and England face each other on Wednesday in Atlanta in the other semifinal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>This win on soccer\u2019s biggest stage marked the third summer in a row that Spain beat France in a tournament semifinal. Yamal scored in a 2-1 win in the 2024 European Championship semifinals just days before his 17th birthday, and La Roja won, 5-4, in Nations League play last year.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>After a quarterfinal win over Belgium last Friday, Yamal said he believed France should fear Spain. Those words certainly proved true.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cIn so many ways, France was missing everything today,\u201d France midfielder Rayan Cherki said through a translator. \u201cTruly, everything was missing today. We\u2019ll be back in four years and we won\u2019t make the same mistakes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Oyarzabal\u2019s penalty kick in the 22nd minute came after Yamal drew a foul when kicked by defender Lucas Digne.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=4968\">Senate to hold hearing for Trump\u2019s pick to head intelligence agencies after weekslong delay<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span>After a poor first touch with his head, Digne was trying to clear the ball when Yamal raced in from behind to challenge in the penalty area. The ball hit off the elbow of the leaping teen before he was kicked by Digne, playing in his 63rd game for France only six days before his 33rd birthday.<\/span><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><span>Oyarzabal\u2019s fifth goal of this year\u2019s World Cup marked the first time either team had trailed in their seven games in this tournament. It was his 30th goal in 60 international games for Spain.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Porro broke free for the second goal and received a pass back from Olmo, who got the touch just before getting knocked off his feet by defender Dayot Upamecano.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cWe gave it our all in order just to go through to the final,\u201d Porro said. \u201cWe knew that we\u2019re a very tough team, we\u2019re doing things really well. This is our team, it\u2019s not about me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><span>France had allowed only two goals in its first six games in this tournament. Spain goalkeeper Unai Sim\u00f3n has six shutouts while allowing only one goal in seven matches so far.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Spain had two other real scoring chances in the first half.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>There was the a free kick from just beyond the box after Adrien Rabiot drew a yellow card for a foul on Olmo in the eighth minute. Alex Baena\u2019s kick went directly into the wall of French players.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>After France keeper Mike Maignan\u2019s attempted clearing pass in the 38th minute instead went straight to Baena, there were several quick nifty passes before Fabian Ruiz\u2019s close-range shot was denied.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Spain\u2019s run at this year\u2019s World Cup has extended its unbeaten streak in regular time to 37 matches (28 wins, 9 draws) since March 2024. That broke the country\u2019s previous record of 35 in a row from 2007-09.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The loss broke France\u2019s record-matching streak of six consecutive World Cup wins, which also was accomplished in the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/bostonrelocationinsider.com\/?p=4966\">Follow live updates on the Trump administration<\/a><\/p>\n<div>\n<div>Biggest takeaways from the World Cup in Boston<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div><figcaption><span>Boston Globe sports reporters break down what went well on and off the pitch during the FIFIA World Cup tournament in Boston.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Goals by Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro were enough for the European champions to earn a shot at its first World Cup crown since 2010.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4971,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4972","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sport"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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