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England may soon get the opportunity to avenge past defeats as potential opponents Spain sealed their spot in the FIFA World Cup final with a commanding 2-0 victory over France in Dallas.

Mikel Oyarzabal converted a 22nd-minute penalty—his fifth goal of the tournament—while Tottenham Hotspur full-back Pedro Porro added a composed second-half strike to send the reigning European champions into Sunday’s final in New Jersey. The result ended Didier Deschamps’ 14-year reign as France manager on a painful note, denying him a third consecutive World Cup final appearance.

Spain’s triumph also extended their unbeaten streak to a record-equalling 37 matches, on a night when France’s key players failed to find their rhythm.

France’s Bradley Barcola, chosen ahead of Desire Doue in the starting XI, made an early dart down the left flank to signal attacking intent. However, Spain soon took control, with Alex Baena’s free-kick deflecting off the wall before Lamine Yamal retrieved the rebound to deliver a clever 11th-minute cross that was eventually cleared under pressure.

Despite boasting stars like Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele, and Kylian Mbappe, France struggled to make any significant impact as Spain dictated the tempo of play. The breakthrough came in the 22nd minute when Lucas Digne brought down the advancing Yamal inside the area, allowing Oyarzabal to fire an unstoppable penalty past goalkeeper Mike Maignan.

The French side suffered another setback half an hour into the match as central defender William Saliba, still recovering from a back problem, was forced off and replaced by Maxence Lacroix. Barcola briefly lifted spirits when he cut inside and unleashed a shot over the bar in the 36th minute.

Spain almost doubled their advantage moments later when Yamal combined neatly with Dani Olmo before finding Fabian Ruiz, whose close-range effort was blocked by Dayot Upamecano. Goalkeeper Unai Simon then raced off his line to clear Adrien Rabiot’s 42nd-minute through-ball just before Mbappe could pounce, ensuring a calm end to the first half for Spain.

After the interval, Luis de la Fuente’s men maintained their dominance, denying France time and space to build any momentum. Oyarzabal went close again, firing over on the turn, while Yamal continued to trouble Digne down the flank. In a bid to spark a comeback, Deschamps replaced Barcola with Doue 12 minutes into the second period.

But within seconds of the change, Spain doubled their lead. Porro exchanged passes with Olmo before lifting his shot delicately over the onrushing Maignan to make it 2-0.

Marc Cucurella made a crucial interception to block Mbappe’s 67th-minute effort, while substitute Ferran Torres came close to adding a third, heading wide 12 minutes from time. Spain comfortably saw out the match to confirm their place in the World Cup final, where they will meet either England or Argentina.