Lamine Yamal didn't hesitate to admit that he saw himself as a world champion. No one is as transparent in the Spain locker room to provoke rivals, yet when the semifinal in Dallas ended, he barely celebrated. As if it were just another day at the office. Lamine, Oyarzabal, slightly more emotional Rodri, and completely unleashed Pedro Porro, feel they have the football to achieve it, but one step remains.
In the semifinal, the prediction of the young star from Rocafonda came true. It hurt France to hear him say that if there was a team that could instill fear in this tie, it was Spain. And he was absolutely right. The "olés" echoed in Dallas. "We did everything to stop a very difficult team. It's a dream come true, but it's all thanks to the team," said Porro, one of the standout players of the night.
Luis de la Fuente found it hard to comprehend. "What I feel must be something similar to the happiness and pride of a country. We have one more step to take, and let's see if we can achieve it. It's a great responsibility. Only the chosen ones go to the final," warned the coach, who could only dream of this four years ago. "We arrived with an idea, to which we have been faithful, and it has brought us here. We have defeated one of the best teams in the world because we are the best team in the world," concluded the man from La Rioja.
Spain appears indestructible in the knockout stages of major competitions, regardless of the opponent. Since their elimination in the penalty shootout against Morocco in Qatar in the round of 16, Spain has not faltered. They have eliminated eight teams consecutively to reach the World Cup final and win the Euro Cup. They will face the ninth opponent on Sunday to secure their second star 16 years later.
The reasons why Les Bleus cannot get the better of them were evident very early, precisely at the 20-minute mark. After over a hundred passes, seeking ways to cause damage without rushing and not allowing the opponent to launch devastating counterattacks with their trio of demons, Mbappé, Olise, and Dembélé, who were not very accurate, Lamine Yamal appeared, the kid they have nightmares about. Two years ago in Munich, in another semifinal, at the 21st minute, he dribbled past Rabiot and placed the ball in the top corner with a strike that became the goal of the Euro Cup. He was just a few days shy of turning 17 back then.
In a much grander stage, with all eyes of the football world on him at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas and now at 19, he pressured Digne, who, to avoid surprises, attempted to clear the ball but ended up kicking him in the quadriceps, right where the number 19 is displayed. The Salvadoran referee Barton did not hesitate to point to the penalty spot. It was the 22nd minute, just after the moment that astonished the world, when no one knew where Rocafonda was on the map, the neighborhood now proudly displayed on the band holding his curls. In the second half, albeit in an offside position, he once again placed the ball in the top corner.
That penalty midway through the first half gave Oyarzabal the lead, the calmest man in the universe. It is the fifth goal for the Real captain in this World Cup, further solidifying his legacy in the De la Fuente era: top scorer with 29 goals. The most effective false '9' in the history of Spanish football, equaling the numbers of Butragueño and David Villa in World Cups. His stats with Spain this season are impressive: 14 goals.
With the 0-1 lead, France had to keep chasing the ball, which for many minutes belonged more to Rodri, pressured by Olise, and to Dani Olmo. Rabiot's early yellow card, leading to his substitution at halftime by Deschamps, gave the Catalan freedom to move and organize the team's fluid attack. The '10' was also a key player two years ago with another goal that completed the comeback and set Spain on the path to the title. Deschamps faced another setback then: Saliba's injury. As it happened in the round of 16 against Portugal with Nuno Mendes and in the quarterfinals with Courtois, Saliba, France's best center-back, left the field injured after half an hour. Another blow for the French team.
The decisive goal came from an unexpected hero: Pedro Porro. A run from the right-back to the edge of the box, a quick exchange with the elusive Dani Olmo, and the confidence to score his second goal in a World Cup. Spain, observed from the stands by champions Sergio Ramos, Xavi Hernández, Puyol, and Casillas, will once again fight for the World Cup.