Spain Silences Their Doubters: A Perfect Run to the 2026 World Cup Last Two
2010 World Cup winners Spain have made their nation proud with a sensational run to the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals, breaking a 16-year knockout-stage curse in the process.
Before this tournament, Spain had not won a single World Cup knockout match since lifting the trophy in South Africa in 2010. They suffered group-stage elimination in 2014, then consecutive Round of 16 exits on penalties to Russia in 2018 and Morocco in 2022.
Here’s how their run to the final unfolded.
Group stage Drama
Spain were held to a shock draw in their group opener against World Cup debutants Cape Verde, a result that made history for the African nation.
They bounced back emphatically in their remaining two games, thrashing Saudi Arabia 4-0 before edging Uruguay 1-0, keeping a clean sheet in all three group games.
Record-breaking Round of 32
Spain finally ended their 16-year knockout drought with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Austria. Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring in the 36th minute, Pedro Porro doubled the lead in the 66th, and Oyarzabal completed his brace and the rout in the 89th minute.
Round of 16 Huge Test
The Round of 16 brought a stiffer test in two-time UEFA Nations League winners Portugal, whom Spain edged 1-0 in a tense, tightly contested encounter.
Both sides created chances, but it was substitute Mikel Merino who made the difference, striking in stoppage time to send Spain through to the quarter-finals and end Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup career in the process.
Quarter-finals Scare
Spain conceded their first goal of the tournament in a thrilling 2-1 win over Belgium.
Fabián Ruiz opened the scoring in the 30th minute, only for Belgium to draw level through Charles De Ketelaere in the 41st.
But Spain had the last word: Mikel Merino, on as a substitute for the second straight knockout game, struck in the 88th minute to seal their place in the semi-finals.
Spain went on to face France in a mouth-watering semi-final, with both nations looking to write another chapter in World Cup history.
Semi-final Masterclass
Spain neutralised France in what turned out to be a one-sided affair from start to finish, running out comfortable 2-0 winners in a match they dominated completely.
Spain had been sensational throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup, conceding just once in the entire competition, and they carried that same defensive solidity into the semi-final.
France came out of the blocks with intensity, but Spain refused to be rattled, playing with composure and control from the first whistle to the last. They had the lion’s share of possession before winning a penalty when a French challenge inside the box brought down Lamine Yamal.
Mikel Oyarzabal stepped up and slotted home the penalty in the 22nd minute, the only goal of the first half.
France struggled to find a foothold in the game after the break, and their frustration deepened in the 58th minute when Pedro Porro doubled Spain’s lead, finishing off a slick one-two with Dani Olmo.
Spain emerged winners of the most anticipated semi-final of the tournament, and they now go on to face the winners of the England vs Argentina clash in the final.
