Tennis legend Rafael Nadal congratulates Spain after 2-0 semifinal win over France
Madrid, July 15
Tennis legend Rafael Nadal congratulated Spain's national football team after La Roja defeated France 2-0 to secure a place in the FIFA World Cup final.
The win sent Spain into only their second FIFA World Cup final, where they will face either defending champions Argentina or England at New York New Jersey Stadium.
Taking to X after Spain's semifinal victory, Nadal celebrated the team's achievement with a brief congratulatory message.
"To the World Cup final! @FIFAWorldCup CONGRATULATIONS @SEFutbol!" Nadal wrote on X.
Spain produced a clinical display to defeat France at Dallas Stadium, combining resolute defending with clinical finishing to secure a place in the final.
Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring from the penalty spot, while Pedro Porro added a second to seal Spain's victory. Porro was named Player of the Match for his impressive performance.
The result sends Spain into the World Cup final, where they will meet either England or Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday. Spain's only previous appearance in a World Cup final ended in triumph when Andres Iniesta scored the winner against the Netherlands in 2010.
Oyarzabal continued his rich vein of form, taking his tally to 18 goals in his last 20 appearances for Spain. His penalty also made him just the sixth player to score 30 international goals for the national team, joining David Villa (59), Raul (44), Fernando Torres (38), Alvaro Morata (37) and David Silva (35).
France entered the contest as slight favourites and threatened early through Kylian Mbappe, but Spain struck first after Lamine Yamal won a penalty when he was fouled inside the area. Oyarzabal calmly converted from the spot beyond goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
Spain doubled their lead soon after through Porro, who combined neatly with Dani Olmo before finishing confidently into the bottom corner.
France attempted to fight back by introducing Desire Doue and Rayan Cherki, but Spain remained in control. Goalkeeper Unai Simon made important interventions, while defender Marc Cucurella produced a crucial tackle to deny Mbappe.
The final whistle sparked celebrations among the Spanish players, while France were left to settle for a third-place playoff on Saturday (local time), where Mbappe will have another opportunity to add to his goal tally in the race for the Golden Boot.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Spain playing like the champions they are! Oyarzabal's form is incredible. 18 goals in last 20 games? That's Messi-level consistency! Can't wait to see them in the final. Expecting a strong contest against Argentina or England. Hopefully they bring the trophy home again 🇪🇸🏆
Spain's defense was rock solid today. Cucurella's tackle on Mbappe was world-class! That's what you need in a semifinal. But I have to say, France's squad depth is scary even without their top stars. Bronze medal match should be interesting. Salute to both teams for a quality match 👏
Nadal is such a class act. But honestly, the real story here is Spain's transformation under this coach. They've gone from tiki-taka possession to a more direct, clinical style that's deadly. That penalty from Oyarzabal was ice cold. Final should be epic. England vs Spain would be a fascinating tactical battle.
Spain's women's team winning the World Cup and now their men's team in the final? Spanish football is really dominating! 🇪🇸 The way they nullified Mbappe was impressive. Hope they can repeat 2010 magic. And yes, great to see Rafa supporting like a true fan!
I have to be honest, Spain got a bit lucky with that penalty decision. It was soft. But they took their chances well. Porro was brilliant. France dominated possession in the second half but couldn't convert. Still think Argentina (if they win) will be too strong in the final. My prediction: Argentina 2-1 Spain. But credit where it's due
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