Pedro Porro put Spain in control of the 2026 World Cup semifinal with a picture-perfect goal in the 58th minute against France. The Tottenham Hotspur right-back doubled Spain’s advantage, and suddenly a tense knockout match looked like a coronation.
France came into Tuesday’s game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas undefeated and unscored-upon in three straight matches. Spain has now put two goals past Les Bleus in less than an hour, and the shutout streak, along with France’s championship hopes, is hanging by a thread.
Pedro Porro’s Second-Half Strike Doubles Spain’s Lead
Porro’s goal was a scripted sequence, the kind Spain has run through midfield all tournament. Porro combined with Dani Olmo in a give-and-go through the middle of the France defense, received the return pass in stride, and beat goalkeeper Mike Maignan with a low finish, according to NBC Sports.
The goal arrived almost 40 minutes after Spain took the lead in the 22nd minute, when Mikel Oyarzabal converted a penalty kick following a foul by French defender Lucas Digne on 18-year-old winger Lamine Yamal inside the box, according to CNN‘s live match blog. France was also forced into an early defensive reshuffle when center back William Saliba went down injured and was replaced by Maxence Lacroix, a blow to a backline already chasing the game.
Spain’s Luis de la Fuente made a notable lineup call ahead of kickoff, benching Pedri in favor of Fabián Ruiz alongside captain Rodri in central midfield, according to Bolavip. The choice paid off as Ruiz and Rodri controlled the middle of the pitch, starving Kylian Mbappé and company of the service that fueled France’s run to the semifinal.
What Spain’s Dominant Semifinal Performance Means Going Forward
A two-goal cushion against the tournament’s most prolific attack changes the calculus for Spain, but the bigger story is what La Roja has built defensively. Spain has conceded just a single goal across the entire tournament, the stingiest mark of any team left in the field, according to VAVEL‘s match coverage.
That defensive foundation, paired with Oyarzabal’s finishing and Porro’s growing influence from right-back, gives Spain a template it can lean on no matter who awaits in the final. Mbappé, still tied with Lionel Messi atop the tournament’s Golden Boot race with eight goals apiece, needs a response, and fast, if France is going to salvage this semifinal.
France still has half of regulation to find an answer, and Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise have the talent to manufacture one from nothing. But Spain has smothered that trio for the better part of an hour, forcing turnovers in dangerous areas and rarely letting France’s attackers face the goal in stride.
This is only the second time Spain has reached a World Cup semifinal, with the first coming in 2010, when a Carles Puyol header eliminated Germany and sent La Roja on to a title-winning run. That history isn’t lost on a Spanish squad built around Yamal’s brashness and a defense that has allowed just one goal in six matches.
The winner advances to Sunday’s final in New Jersey against either Argentina or England, who meet Wednesday in the tournament’s second semifinal. For Spain, unbeaten and now firmly in control against the team many picked to win it all, that final berth is drawing closer by the minute.
Spain Takes Control as Pedro Porro Stuns France in World Cup Semifinal