Spain have reached their first World Cup final since 2010 after a dominant 2-0 victory over France in Dallas, setting up a potential showdown with England – who face Argentina on Wednesday in a semi-final that the BBC will broadcast live from Atlanta.
Mikel Oyarzabal coolly converted a penalty to give Spain the lead after Lucas Digne was penalised for kicking Lamine Yamal. Pedro Porro then scored a wonderful goal as Spain overwhelmed a France side that had not trailed all tournament. Kylian Mbappe, who has lit up this World Cup with his finishing, had just two touches in Spain’s penalty area in the first half and struggled to cause much threat, while Adrien Rabiot was lucky to stay on the pitch after fouling Fabian Ruiz having already been booked. Unai Simon kept a sixth clean sheet in seven matches, making one vital clearance before Mbappe could pounce. France’s William Saliba went off injured with no-one around him after Spain had scored.
“Spain reach first World Cup final since 2010; England face Argentina as BBC shifts to Atlanta for record audience.”
England, seeking their first World Cup final since 1966, will meet Argentina in Atlanta on Wednesday at 8pm UK time. The BBC, which has exclusive live rights, will present its coverage from the stadium – a departure from the rest of the tournament, which has been presented from Salford. Wayne Rooney and Micah Richards have joined Alan Shearer in the United States. ITV, which broadcast England’s dramatic extra-time win over Norway to a peak audience of 18 million on Saturday, will continue with a hybrid approach from a rooftop studio in Brooklyn.
The BBC’s risky strategy of keeping its first-pick of matches until later in the tournament appears to have paid off, with viewing figures for the semi-final likely to surpass ITV’s 18m. Earlier, the BBC attracted a peak of 9.1 million for England’s last‑16 victory over Mexico, which kicked off at 2am. BBC Sport director Alex Kay-Jelski defended the decision to stay in Salford for the group stage, saying flying out extra staff would cost “millions”.
Meanwhile, broadcasters continue to differ on how they display country names. ITV adheres to FIFA’s official three-letter codes – Spain is shown as “ESP”, derived from its native name “España” or French “Espagne”. The BBC, by contrast, uses its own anglicised abbreviations.
Spain will face either England or Argentina in the final in New Jersey on Sunday.
