Spain reached the World Cup final for just the second time in their history on Tuesday, defeating France 2-0 in a semi-final that was far more one-sided than many expected. The victory extends their unbeaten run to 37 matches — equalling Italy's record for the longest unbeaten run in international football.

Collective brilliance over individual stars

France arrived as heavy favourites, with Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, and Michael Olise providing the kind of attacking threat that had swept teams aside throughout the tournament. Yet Spain suffocated them with a midfield masterclass, restricting Les Bleus to just three attempts on target — the lowest expected-goals figure (0.3) conceded by any side in a World Cup semi-final since Brazil faced Sweden in 1994.

"Spain scalped France — they flattened France," said former Premier League champion Chris Sutton, who attended the game for BBC Radio 5 Live. "We have given France so much praise in this tournament, but they were swatted aside by silky Spain."

Roy Keane echoed that verdict: "France were not playing as a team. Brilliant individuals not playing as a team. Spain have been absolutely brilliant — an absolute joy to watch."

The architect: Luis de la Fuente

When Luis de la Fuente was appointed Spain head coach in December 2022, he was barely known outside the federation. Having spent years developing the national youth sides — the under-19s, under-21s, and under-23s — he was considered a quiet, administrative choice. The 65-year-old has answered every doubt emphatically. He guided Spain to Nations League glory in 2023, Euro 2024 triumph, and now a World Cup final.

De la Fuente told reporters after the match that his players deserved their place in the final through "effort, talent, sacrifice, trying to be a better version of ourselves." He added: "We've recaptured the spirit of 2010. The character of this team is evident in the fact that those who didn't play have stayed behind to train after the match."

Spanish football expert Guillem Balague noted on BBC Radio 5 Live that De la Fuente began building this group a decade ago, when players like Mikel Oyarzabal, Dani Olmo, Rodri, and Unai Simon came through his youth setups together. "They won the under-19 and under-21 Euros, got to know each other, formed a family, and that feeling of being better together than individually is in their DNA," Balague said.

How Spain dismantled France

Spain's route to a 2-0 lead inside the hour was rooted in familiar principles: possession, counter-pressing, a dominant midfield trio, and short passing combinations. Fabian Ruiz, Rodri, and Dani Olmo collectively overwhelmed France's midfield two, with Olmo's deep-lying role giving Spain a three-against-two numerical advantage in the centre of the pitch.

France attempted to counter this by assigning a centre-back to follow Olmo, but his ability to hold off pressure and find teammates in tight spaces repeatedly unlocked their defensive structure. Mikel Oyarzabal converted a penalty to open the scoring, before Pedro Porro added a superb second — arriving to receive a return pass after Desire Doue failed to track his run, then finishing with composure. Olmo provided the assist for the latter.

Spain also exploited the spaces around France's full-backs, whose zonal defensive approach left them exposed against Spain's overlapping full-backs and wide attackers simultaneously. Former France international Gael Clichy acknowledged the gap in quality: "The best team won. All the phases were controlled by Spain."

Records and the road to Sunday

Spain's clean sheet was their sixth of this World Cup — the first side in the competition's history to achieve that figure at a single edition. Lamine Yamal, the teenage sensation, has never lost a game in a Spain shirt, and his 100 percent win rate across 12 starts at the World Cup and Euros combined is the best of any European player across the two competitions.

Spain now await the winner of Wednesday's semi-final between Argentina and England. De la Fuente expressed admiration for both opponents, noting England were among his pre-tournament favourites. Balague was equally bullish: "I think the winner of the World Cup played today."