Mikel Oyarzabal delivered the greatest goalscoring international season in Spanish football history before firing La Roja into their first FIFA World Cup final in 16 years.
The Real Sociedad forward converted
from the penalty spot against France to score his 14th goal for Spain during the 2025-26 international campaign, surpassing David Villa’s long-standing record of 13 goals set in the 2008-09 season.
It was a landmark moment that immediately became even sweeter as Spain dismantled France 2-0 to move within one win of World Cup glory.
How Spain Dominated France
Luis de la Fuente’s side produced another tactical masterclass, dominating possession, frustrating Kylian Mbappe and completely controlling the semifinal from start to finish.
After a balanced opening spell, Spain seized control through the electric Lamine Yamal, whose driving run forced Lucas Digne into conceding a penalty. Oyarzabal made no mistake from 12 yards, calmly sending Mike Maignan the wrong way to score the goal that not only gave Spain the lead but also cemented his place in the country’s football folklore.
France never recovered.
Mbappe endured one of his quietest performances of the tournament as Spain’s fearless high defensive line repeatedly caught the French captain offside, while goalkeeper Unai Simon continued his outstanding World Cup with a series of perfectly timed interventions outside his penalty area.
Any hopes of a French comeback disappeared 13 minutes into the second half when Dani Olmo slipped a perfectly weighted pass into Pedro Porro’s path. The full-back thundered an unstoppable finish into the bottom corner to double Spain’s advantage and effectively end the contest.
Didier Deschamps threw on Desire Doue and Rayan Cherki in search of inspiration, but Spain remained composed, limiting Les Bleus to half-chances before comfortably seeing out the closing stages.
The victory sends Spain into their first World Cup final since lifting the trophy in South Africa in 2010, ends France’s bid to reach a third consecutive World Cup final, and extends La Roja’s unbeaten run to 37 matches, equalling Italy’s all-time record.
