Spain's quiet talismans outplay star-studded France

Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro. These are not the names most casual World Cup viewers would recognise. 

In fact, Spain's squad is stacked with underrated talent, with the likes of Dani Olmo, Mikel Merino, Fabian Ruiz, and goalkeeper Unai Simon operating alongside the more familiar Rodri, Pedri, Cucurella, and Lamine Yamal. That’s the team that knocked out tournament favourites France by outplaying them till the final whistle in the semifinal in Dallas today.

Tap Here to Add The Daily Star As A Trusted Source

Spain's quiet talismans marched into the final by shutting out a France side that had arrived in Dallas unbeaten in six matches.

Oyarzabal epitomised Spain's campaign. The Real Sociedad forward may not attract the spotlight, but he remains the focal point of Spain's attack. When Yamal won a penalty after drawing a 22nd-minute foul from Lucas Digne, Oyarzabal stepped up with complete composure, blasting his spot-kick into the top-right corner to give Spain the lead and set the tone for the rest of the contest.

Then there was Porro. A right-back by trade but often an auxiliary winger in possession, he earned the starting spot ahead of Marcos Llorente and justified that decision throughout the tournament.

His second goal of the World Cup effectively sealed the semifinal. After exchanging a slick one-two with Olmo in the 58th minute, Porro burst into the penalty area unmarked before finishing clinically, exposing a French defence that failed to track his run.

Between the goals, Spain's midfield quietly dictated proceedings. Coach Luis de la Fuente once again opted for Ruiz's physical presence alongside Rodri instead of Pedri's creativity, a tactical choice that denied France both time and space in central areas. Olmo also produced one of the game's finest moments with an exquisite backheel that split open the French defence, although the chance ultimately went unfinished.

At the other end, Simon enjoyed another relatively comfortable evening. It continued a remarkable tournament in which he had set a World Cup record with six consecutive clean sheets before Belgium finally breached his goal in the quarterfinals. When Merino, Spain's super-sub after decisive cameos against Portugal and Belgium, entered late in the match, he did not need to rescue his team once more. Spain's understated core had already done the job.

That has been the defining feature of Spain's campaign. Ruiz opened the scoring in the quarterfinal victory over Belgium, while Merino had already produced two match-winning goals off the bench against Portugal and Belgium before the semifinal.

France relied heavily on moments of brilliance from Mbappe. Spain, by contrast, kept finding decisive contributions from different players at every stage of the tournament, leaving Didier Deschamps' side with no solution.

The victory sends Spain into only their second World Cup final since lifting the trophy in 2010. Standing between them and a second world title are either Argentina or England.

France, unbeaten before the semifinal, must now regroup ahead of Sunday's third-place playoff in Miami.

Spain, meanwhile, are one victory away from another star above their crest -- a journey built not on individual brilliance alone, but on a squad in which every player, however understated, has delivered when it mattered most.