Spain will play a first World Cup final since winning it in 2010 after totally outclassing Kylian Mbappe and France to win the semifinal in Dallas 2-0. Spain came into the game unbeaten in 36 games and took the lead from the penalty spot when Lucas Digne swung a leg without looking and felled Lamine Yamal, with Mikel Oyarzabal rolling in the penalty for his fifth goal of the tournament.France then lost Arsenal centre-back William Saliba to an injury and a reshaped defence was torn apart early in the second half with Pedro Porro finishing off a smart team move.Spain will play England or Argentina in the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday. France will face the loser of that game in the bronze final in Miami on Saturday.France did not have a shot on target until the 81st minute when substitute Desire Doue underhit an attempted lob. Mbappe was booked at the end for a challenge on goalkeeper Unai Simon as frustrations threatened to boil over.Here The Athletic’s Jack Lang, Thom Harris, Dermot Corrigan and refereeing expert Graham Scott break down the key talking points.Was Spain always the World Cup’s best team?Perhaps we underestimated Spain. Perhaps we were so preoccupied with France, Kylian Mbappe and the rest of their freescoring attack that we overlooked the quality of a Spain team that (if we exclude a penalty shootout defeat against Portugal in the Nations League final last year) hasn’t lost a match since March 2023.Curiously, it feels as though Spain has almost gone under the radar at this World Cup up until now. Drawing their first match against Cape Verde was viewed as an embarrassment, and it was hard to get too excited about the remainder of a group stage that featured wins over Saudi Arabia and a poor Uruguay side.On top of that, there was also the Lamine Yamal situation. Hampered by a hamstring injury that curtailed his involvement early on, Yamal hasn’t been the headline act that many expected him to be. “Lamine’s great day is still to come at this World Cup,” Luis de la Fuente said on the eve of the France game.Well, it’s time for a rethink if you had any doubts. Spain’s hugely impressive victory over France served as a reminder that there’s no team better at passing the ball in world football. There were even ‘oles’ in the final minutes against France as Spain toyed with their opponents.Spain also happen to have the best defensive record in the tournament — France managed only one shot on target prior to added time — and the way that Yamal played here suggests that he may be peaking at just the right time. One thing is for sure, Lucas Digne will never want to see him again.Stuart JamesWhy did Mbappe and France’s attacking stars fail?In the early offings, Bradley Barcola lured Pedro Porro into a rash challenge out on Spain’s right flank. Barcola clipped the ball over his marker, galloped towards the box and saw a left-footed cross charged down. It felt like an early marker laid down by the France attack, this World Cup’s demolition crew of choice. Instead, it was to be their only real moment of incision in the first hour of the match.Soon after, Michael Olise had the chance to free Kylian Mbappe with the Spain defence stretched. Olise, perhaps the best creative player in the world, couldn’t pick the right pass. That became the pattern — for him, for Barcola and for Ousmane Dembele. Everything was just slightly overhit or misdirected. Every good idea was undone in the execution.Mbappe reacts during his side’s disappointing performance (Photo: RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP via Getty Images)The French frustration was evident. Olise drifted to the right wing, hoping to get some more change from Marc Cucurella, but didn’t. He crunched Rodri and was lucky not to be booked. Barcola and Dembele drifted to little effect. Up front, Mbappe looked isolated and kept getting flagged offside.Didier Deschamps, to be fair, acted relatively quickly, throwing Desire Doue on for Barcola before the hour mark. Rayan Cherki joined him later, replacing Olise. By that point, though, Spain were two up and cruising. And France, owners of the best attack in the tournament, had yet to have a shot on target.