A clinical and disciplined Spain advanced to their first FIFA World Cup final in 16 years after beating neighbors France 2-0 in the top-flight semifinal at AT&T Stadium on Tuesday. A first-half penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal and a fine second-half strike from Pedro Porro sealed a memorable victory for La Roja, dashing France’s dream of reaching a third consecutive final.The victory marked the third summer in a row that Spain have eliminated France in the finals of a major tournament, following their victories in the semifinals of Euro 2024 and the Nations League last year. The youngster Lamine Yamal, who celebrated his 19th birthday the day before, could also be the architect of destruction, confirming his warning of the game that France should fear this Spanish side.Spain opened the scoring in the 22nd minute after Yamal’s sharp pass caught the French defence. Veteran French defender Lucas Digne misjudged a header in his own box, allowing the speedy Yamal to steal in behind. In order to end the danger, Digne pushed the teenager, which caused the player to aim straight for the shot.Mikel Oyarzabal stepped up calmly and sent the keeper the wrong way to score his fifth goal of the game. The strike was the first time the world’s richest nations had followed through at any time in the entire World Cup campaign.France, the world’s top team, struggled to find their regular rhythm as Kylian Mbappé was kept quiet by the steady Spanish. Spain put the game away from Les Bleus in the 58th minute. Pedro Porro started a good pass with Dani Olmo before powerfully firing into the net to make it 2-0.Yamal came close to adding a third a few minutes later, but his near finish was caused by a call. France threw bodies forward late in the game but were unable to break down Spain’s defence.Spain will now travel to East Rutherford, New Jersey, for a big meeting on Sunday at MetLife Stadium, where they will face either defending champions Argentina or England. Meanwhile, the disappointed French team will travel to Miami Gardens on Saturday to compete in the third round.