This brought an end to Les Bleus’ bid for a third consecutive final appearance in the global showpiece to an end. La Roja produced another assured display, dictating possession for long periods while neutralising France’s dangerous attacking threats. 

Calm in defence and ruthless in front of goal, Spain once again demonstrated why they have been among the standout teams of the tournament.

Pedro Porro. Photo: X

Their breakthrough came in the 22nd minute when Mikel Oyarzabal confidently converted from the penalty spot after teenage star Lamine Yamal was fouled in the area. It capped an impressive opening spell in which Yamal and Dani Olmo repeatedly found pockets of space and kept the French defence under pressure.

France, who had lit up the tournament through the exploits of Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise, battled to find any attacking rhythm. Spain’s disciplined defensive shape restricted clear-cut opportunities, while Rodri orchestrated proceedings in midfield with another composed performance.

The Spaniards doubled their lead 13 minutes into the second half. A flowing team move sliced through the French backline before Pedro Porro applied the finishing touch, giving goalkeeper Mike Maignan no chance and leaving Didier Deschamps’ side with a daunting task.

France pushed numbers forward in search of a way back into the contest, but Unai Simón was seldom called upon as Spain comfortably saw out the match. The result maintained Spain’s impressive unbeaten run, which now stands at 37 matches, and booked their place in Sunday’s World Cup final, where they will chase a second world title.

France, meanwhile, must quickly shift their focus to Saturday’s third-place play-off after seeing their title challenge come to an end.

The spotlight now moves to Atlanta, where England and defending champions Argentina meet on Wednesday for the right to face Spain in the final.

Rodri. Photo: FIFA

The semi-final will also provide a historic occasion, with Lionel Messi preparing to face England for the first time in his senior international career. Despite enjoying one of football’s most decorated careers, the Argentine captain has remarkably never lined up against the Three Lions, adding another layer of intrigue to an already mouth-watering contest.

It has, however, been nearly 21 years since these teams last met, although they share a rich World Cup rivalry. Wednesday’s encounter will be the sixth time they have faced each other at the global showpiece. The most famous of those meetings came in the 1986 quarter-finals in Mexico City, when Diego Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” goal became one of the most talked-about moments in football history.

Dani Olmo. Photo: FIFA

Messi acknowledged ahead of the clash that facing England in a World Cup semi-final would be a memorable experience, describing the Three Lions as one of the traditional giants of international football.

England head into the encounter on the back of a hard-fought quarter-final victory over Norway, while Argentina advanced after defeating Switzerland. Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka will spearhead England’s bid to reach the final, but they face an Argentina side driven by Messi’s leadership and the goalscoring form of Julián Álvarez.

With Spain already awaiting the winner, all eyes now turn to what promises to be another gripping semi-final as England attempt to end decades of World Cup frustration, while Argentina chase another opportunity to defend their global crown.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek sm