“Let me loose in a prison and I’ll end up owning the place,” Pedro Porro once claimed. Let him into the penalty area, and he will assert his dominance there too. When the Spanish right-back stormed into the box, sprinting onto Dani Olmo’s brilliant pass, and calmly directed the ball into the net for the second goal in Dallas, it was clear the match was within Spain’s grasp, with half an hour still to play. They knew it was theirs. It seemed almost predetermined.
Porro celebrated by kissing the badge and sprinting to the corner, as his teammates flooded the pitch to join him. He had been tasked with neutralizing Kylian Mbappé, the tournament’s leading scorer and one of the most formidable players in the French attack, likened to the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Yet, Porro stood his ground, delivering a crucial blow when it mattered most. It was a moment of instinct that sealed Spain’s place in the World Cup final.
This marked Porro’s second goal of the tournament; astonishingly, he has netted more times than he has conceded. Prior to the semi-final, he had been asked about balancing offensive play with defensive duties. “It depends on who you’re playing: against Belgium I was basically with [Jérémy] Doku all game. I only really went forward once,” he noted, adding wittily, “Not even in my wildest dreams could I have imagined this,” A strong performance indeed. Here, he ventured forward only once, but it will be a memorable moment. “We knew one of the keys was keeping the ball,” he reflected.
Spain, however, had a sense of certainty when Porro found the net. Not just because they led by two goals, but because the match was unfolding as they had envisioned. While he contributed to the attack, he had also fulfilled his defensive responsibilities. The entire team demonstrated not just heroism, but a commanding presence on the field. “Few things in football make me nervous,” Pau Cubarsí commented. France had struggled to threaten throughout the match, and Spain was confident they could maintain that control.
Spain executed their game plan effectively. When Unai Simón stopped a shot from Ousmane Dembélé in the 94th minute, it marked only the second shot on target for France. Spain has conceded just once throughout the tournament, showcasing a remarkable collective performance. This was evident not only in how they took the lead but also in how they maintained it, finishing the game with a composure that had not been witnessed since Mikel Oyarzabal converted the penalty that set everything in motion.
Among all those who could have taken the penalty that gave Spain a 1-0 lead, none were more fitting than Oyarzabal. “We knew that with calm we could hurt them,” the striker remarked recently, and penalties are not among them. He has consistently performed in critical matches, scoring in every final he has participated in, including the decisive goal against England at the Euros two years ago. He had successfully converted 53 penalties, missing just six, achieving an impressive 89.65% success rate, and he was not about to falter this time.
The composed striker took the penalty with the same confidence and determination that characterized the national team’s performance throughout the match. “This isn’t mine, it is all 26 of us” Oyarzabal stated. With a decisive break, they sealed their victory. Exhausted, Porro was substituted late in the game. From the sidelines, he witnessed Spain complete the match to the sound of cheers, a display of total dominance.
In the stands, legends like Xavi Hernández, Iker Casillas, Carles Puyol, and Sergio Ramos watched the unfolding spectacle. When Spain claimed the World Cup in 2010, Porro celebrated by jumping into the fountain at the Plaza de España in Don Benito. At that time, he was a 10-year-old boy with parents working tirelessly to provide for him, often accompanied by his grandfather Antonio. Now, a day after Antonio’s birthday, Porro and his generation stand on the brink of replicating that success.
“This isn’t mine, it is all 26 of us,” Porro emphasized. This achievement belonged to him, Marc Cucurella, Aymeric Laporte, and Cubarsí, along with their extraordinarily talented 19-year-old peers. To Rodri, who performed exceptionally well, and Fabián Ruiz. To the entire squad that has traveled this journey for a month, the “family,” as the coach repeatedly refers to them, who made France appear so ordinary. They may not all be household names, except for Lamine Yamal, but this was a triumph for the collective. Spain played true to themselves, just as Luis de la Fuente had instructed. “Tranquility is power,” he often states, though sometimes, when the moment is right, you must unleash your potential.
- World Cup 2026
- Spain
- France
- World Cup
- analysis
