Spain Reaches World Cup Final After Dominating France 2-0

Spain asserted complete control over France in Dallas, securing a 2-0 victory and advancing to the World Cup final for the first time since 2010. This marks Spain's second semi-final appearance in World Cup history, and they have won both. They were crowned World Cup champions in South Africa in 2010. Now, they will compete against England or Argentina in the final to be held in New Jersey on Sunday. How was Spain and France's overall semi-final performance, and what are the player ratings?

France Starting XI

Mike Maignan (5/10): Although he correctly guessed the direction of Mikel Oyarzabal's penalty, he was helpless against the speed and power of the ball. His distribution was also not as good as expected.

Jules Kounde (5/10): Struggled repeatedly with passing. France's defense had looked very strong throughout this World Cup, but it crumbled in the face of its first real tough test.

Dayot Upamecano (5/10): Though he has been very impressive for France in this World Cup, he made an excellent block to deny Fabian Ruiz a certain goal at 1-0. However, that could not save the team from defeat.

William Saliba (6/10): Had to leave the field with an injury after Spain took the lead. The World Cup ended disappointingly for him. After falling behind for the first time in the tournament, France could not make a comeback.

Lucas Digne (5/10): Gave away a penalty after tripping Lamine Yamal, which Spain used to take the lead.

Aurelien Tchouameni (5/10): Although he played an important role in France's journey to the semi-finals, this game was one to forget. Spain completely dominated France in midfield.

Adrien Rabiot (4/10): After committing an early foul on Dani Olmo and receiving a yellow card, he fouled Fabian Ruiz again. Although he avoided a red card, he was substituted at the start of the second half.

Ousmane Dembele (4/10): Despite being a Ballon d'Or winner, he could not make his impact felt in the game. He appeared almost inactive as Spain controlled the game.

Michael Olise (5/10): After shining with assists in this World Cup, he delivered his weakest performance in the semi-final. He was fortunate not to receive a card for his foul on Rodri towards the end of the first half.

Bradley Barcola (5/10): At the start of the game, he tricked Pedro Porro and entered the box, winning a corner. Apart from that, he could not deliver a notable performance.

Kylian Mbappe (5/10): Mbappe, who had captured everyone's attention with his excellent finishing in this World Cup, was completely contained in this game. He only touched the ball twice in Spain's penalty area in the first half and did not create much attacking threat.

Substitutes

Maxence Lacroix (30th min – 5/10): Came on after Saliba's injury.

Manu Kone (46th min – 4/10): Brought on with the aim of getting France back into the game, but could not make an impact.

Desire Doue (57th min – 4/10): Ended his World Cup journey with direct contributions to two goals. Although expected to add energy to the team, he was unsuccessful.

Rayan Cherki (72nd min – 4/10): Finished the tournament without ever starting a game.

Theo Hernandez (72nd min – 4/10): Came on when Spain was already leading 2-0.

Spain Starting XI

Unai Simon (7/10): Sixth clean sheet in seven games. His crucial clearance outside the box before Mbappe could advance proved decisive.

Pedro Porro (7/10): Scored a stunning goal, putting Spain into their first World Cup final since 2010. This was his third goal involvement in the tournament.

Pau Cubarsi (7/10): Appeared very confident in the heart of the defense. He neutralized France's stars including Mbappe, Dembele, and Olise.

Aymeric Laporte (8/10): Excellent performance. Remained calm and composed under pressure. Completed over 90 percent of his passes throughout the game.

Marc Cucurella (6/10): Received a yellow card after committing two fouls on Olise in quick succession.

Rodri (9/10): An unforgettable performance from Spain's captain. He completely controlled the midfield, not allowing France to find any rhythm from start to finish.

Fabian Ruiz (7/10): Had a good opportunity to score the second goal but could not convert due to Upamecano's excellent block.

Lamine Yamal (8/10): After struggling to show his best game throughout the World Cup, the 19-year-old Yamal shone fully in the semi-final. He won the penalty from which Spain scored the first goal. His goal was also disallowed for offside.

Dani Olmo (7/10): Appeared technically very strong. He was a constant problem for France.

Alex Baena (6/10): His free-kick early in the game hit the French defensive wall.

Mikel Oyarzabal (7/10): Calmly and confidently scored the penalty, completing his fifth goal of this World Cup. Although there was some delay between the penalty decision and the kick, he was not fazed by the pressure.

Substitutes

Ferran Torres (74th min – 6/10): Came on to secure Spain's victory.

Mikel Merino (78th min – 6/10): Worked hard and showed some excellent touches.

Pedri (78th min – 6/10): Managed to limit France to few opportunities in the final moments of the game.

Marcos Llorente (84th min – 5/10): Did not get many opportunities to play the ball.

Nico Williams (84th min – 5/10): Did the necessary work in the final minutes to secure Spain's lead.

Man of the Match

Rodri (Spain) – 9/10: Spain's captain Rodri delivered the most impressive performance in the semi-final and was declared the Man of the Match. He maintained complete control in midfield, not allowing France to find any rhythm.