Spain end France's World Cup final run

The dynasty narrative, punctured

France arrived in Arlington carrying the weight of back-to-back final appearances — 2018 winners, 2022 runners-up, and widely considered the tournament's most dangerous side heading into the knockout rounds. The script was written. Spain tore it up.

A 2-0 win — clinical, controlled, comfortable — means Spain have now beaten France in three consecutive meetings. That is not a coincidence. That is a pattern. And for Didier Deschamps' side, it is the end of the road at a World Cup that felt, for long stretches, like it was theirs to lose.

Spain: one win from history

Spain are into the World Cup final. For a generation of players who have already rewritten the record books — La Roja claimed the UEFA Nations League and Euro 2024 in recent years — this is the next chapter. A fourth world title would place them alongside Germany and Italy, and ahead of every other nation except Brazil.

The performance in Arlington was a shutout — France couldn't find a way through. Whether that speaks to Spain's defensive organisation, their control of possession, or simply a France side that ran out of answers, the result is the same: 2-0, and it wasn't particularly close. ESPN FC and BBC Sport both reported the scoreline and Spain's dominance across the ninety minutes.

France have now lost three straight to this Spain side. At some point, that stops being bad luck.

What comes next

Spain will face the winner of the other semifinal in the World Cup final — the exact date and venue still to be confirmed. For France, the debrief starts now: a squad built around generational talent, a manager with two finals on his CV, and still no win since 2018. The questions will be sharp.

For Spain, there are no questions right now. Just a final.