Key Takeaways
- Spain eliminated tournament favorites France 2-0 in Tuesday’s semifinal at Dallas Stadium, reaching their first World Cup final since winning the trophy in 2010.
- Mikel Oyarzabal converted a 22nd-minute penalty after a foul on teenager Lamine Yamal, and Pedro Porro doubled the lead in the 58th minute; Kylian Mbappé and France’s attack were held to under 0.3 expected goals.
- England face Argentina today, July 15, at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with the winner meeting Spain in Sunday’s final at New York-New Jersey Stadium.
- Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé enter the day’s action tied atop the Golden Boot race with eight goals apiece; Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham trail on six each.
- FIFA president Gianni Infantino faces a formal complaint filed with the IOC’s Ethics Commission over his ties to Donald Trump, centered on the reversal of American striker Folarin Balogun’s red-card suspension.
Spain Shut Down France to Reach a Second World Cup Final
Spain’s run to the final was built on defense, not fireworks. Going into Tuesday’s semifinal against a France side loaded with attacking talent, the matchup was billed by several outlets as a final-before-the-final. Instead, Spain controlled it from an early stage.
The breakthrough came in the 22nd minute, when defender Lucas Digne fouled Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal inside the penalty area. Mikel Oyarzabal stepped up and buried the resulting spot kick. Spain doubled its advantage in the 58th minute through a well-worked sequence: right-back Pedro Porro surged forward, exchanged a one-two with Dani Olmo, and finished calmly past goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
What stood out most was Spain’s defensive record. Anchored by Pau Cubarsí and Aymeric Laporte, La Roja limited a French front line featuring Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise to a fraction of an expected goal across the full match, extending a defensive run in which Spain has now conceded only once in the entire tournament. The result denies Mbappé a third straight World Cup final appearance and sends Spain back to the championship match for the first time since it lifted the trophy in South Africa in 2010.
Spain now waits in New Jersey for the winner of Wednesday’s second semifinal.
England vs. Argentina: The Golden Boot Race Adds Stakes
Today’s second semifinal at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium pits reigning champions Argentina against an England side chasing its first final appearance since 1966. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET.
Beyond the result itself, the match carries individual stakes. Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé sit level atop the tournament’s scoring chart with eight goals each, with Mbappé holding a tiebreaker edge on assists — though his tournament is now over after France’s exit. Harry Kane and his England teammate Jude Bellingham trail two goals back on six apiece, meaning England’s captain likely needs a big performance, and a run to the final, to have any real shot at a second Golden Boot.
The winner advances to Sunday’s final at New York-New Jersey Stadium to face Spain, while the loser plays France in Saturday’s third-place match in Miami.
Off the Pitch: Infantino’s Trump Ties Draw an IOC Complaint
Away from the field, FIFA president Gianni Infantino is contending with mounting political fallout tied to this tournament. London-based human rights group FairSquare has filed a complaint with the International Olympic Committee’s Ethics Commission, alleging Infantino — an IOC member since 2020 — repeatedly breached the IOC’s political neutrality rules through his relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump.
The complaint centers heavily on the case of American forward Folarin Balogun. Balogun was sent off with a red card during the United States’ group-stage win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, which would normally have triggered an automatic one-match ban. Days later, and after Trump reportedly called Infantino to press for a review, FIFA’s disciplinary committee suspended the ban for a one-year probationary period under Article 27 of its disciplinary code, clearing Balogun to play against Belgium. The U.S. went on to lose that match 4-1 and was eliminated.
FairSquare’s filing alleges five clear breaches of IOC neutrality rules tied to public statements of support for Trump — including his Nobel Peace Prize endorsement and involvement in a FIFA “Peace Prize” awarded to the president — plus what it calls preliminary evidence of further violations connected to the Balogun decision. Separately, a bloc of European Parliament members, initially reported around 50 and since described in some accounts as growing toward 70-plus signatories, has urged FIFA’s own Ethics Committee to examine whether political interference compromised the tournament’s disciplinary process. That FIFA-level complaint was first lodged by FairSquare in December and has drawn backing from Norway’s football federation.
Infantino has denied any improper involvement, maintaining that FIFA’s disciplinary bodies operate independently of him and that he raised no objection to the outcome of Balogun’s case beyond noting that an internal legal process was underway. As of this week, neither FIFA nor the IOC has confirmed that a formal investigation has been opened — the complaints are pending review, and FIFA’s own process does not guarantee complainants any update given confidentiality rules.
FAQ
Is Spain officially in the World Cup final? Yes. Spain’s 2-0 win over France on Tuesday confirmed their place in Sunday’s final at New York-New Jersey Stadium, regardless of the England-Argentina outcome.
Who is Spain playing in the World Cup final? The winner of today’s England vs. Argentina semifinal in Atlanta. That result will be known before Sunday’s final.
Why was Folarin Balogun allowed to play despite a red card? FIFA’s disciplinary committee suspended his automatic one-match ban for a one-year probationary period, a decision that followed a phone call from President Trump to Infantino requesting a review, though FIFA maintains the ruling was made independently.
Is Gianni Infantino formally under investigation? Not yet confirmed. A complaint has been filed with the IOC’s Ethics Commission and a separate one sits with FIFA’s Ethics Committee, but as of this week neither body has publicly confirmed that a formal investigation has been opened.
Who is leading the Golden Boot race? Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé are tied with eight goals each; Mbappé leads on the assist tiebreaker, though his tournament has ended. Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham are two goals back.
Closing Analysis
The sporting picture is now half-settled: Spain has its final spot, and today’s Atlanta semifinal will decide the opponent along with a chunk of the Golden Boot race. The murkier story is off the field. Whether the IOC or FIFA’s ethics arm actually opens formal proceedings against Infantino — rather than simply logging the complaints — will determine if the Balogun affair becomes a genuine governance crisis for FIFA or fades as the tournament’s spotlight shifts to Sunday’s final.
