​The 2026 FIFA World Cup has reached the stage where every detail matters, and Spain delivered one of their most complete performances of the tournament when it mattered most.La Roja beat France 2-0 in the semi-finals at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington, booking their place in the final with a performance built on control, patience and ruthless timing.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 22nd minute, before Pedro Porro added the second after a clever Dani Olmo assist in the 58th minute.From a Barcelona perspective, this was a huge night. Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo and Pau Cubarsi all started for Spain, while Ferran Torres and Pedri came on in the second half.On the other side, Jules Kounde started at right-back for France, meaning Barça had influence on both sides of a World Cup semi-final.The game itself was not chaos. It was control. Spain finished with 1.63 xG to France’s 0.30, created three big chances while allowing none, and won the physical battle despite France pushing late.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSpain are in the final, and Barcelona players are not passengers in that run. They are helping define it.Here is how the Barça boys fared against France.Coming into his own. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)Lamine Yamal did not score, but he helped change the game. The penalty that gave Spain the lead came after the 19-year-old attacked Lucas Digne’s loose defensive action and forced the mistake.It was exactly the kind of sharp, fearless action that makes him so dangerous, even when he is not dominating every minute.Lamine had already created one big chance, recorded 0.301 expected assists and won the spot-kick by the break. He also had a goal ruled out for offside late on, which would have made the night even more memorable.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJust like Spain, this was also Lamine’s best performance at the tournament, and he continues to influence games even when the goals and assists do not come.Pau Cubarsi continues to look far older than he is. The Barcelona centre-back started again and produced another composed display in a game where one mistake against Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele or Michael Olise could have changed everything.What stood out most is his calmness. France had the names, the pace and the late territorial push, but Cubarsi rarely looked dragged out of position. He defended with maturity and used the ball cleanly when Spain needed to settle.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThis is perhaps the most exciting storyline from a Barça perspective. It does feel like he has the Young Player of the Tournament award wrapped up.The Catalans’ 19-year-old prodigy is set to start for Spain in the World Cup final, and it remains to be seen how he fares on that night.Delivering consistently. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)Dani Olmo gave Spain the final-third connection they needed. His biggest moment came in the 58th minute,