Real Madrid World Cup Spotlight: Heartbreak for Mbappe, Tchouameni while Cucurella sails to the final

Real Madrid World Cup Spotlight: Heartbreak for Mbappe, Tchouameni while Cucurella sails to the final The 2026 FIFA World Cup has reached its final week, and Spain have now become the first team to book their place in the final. La Roja beat France 2-0 in Arlington, producing one of the most controlled performances of the knockout stages. Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 22nd minute before Pedro Porro added the second in the 58th minute after a clever Dani Olmo pass. France had enough attacking firepower to make the game interesting, but not enough precision to truly hurt Spain. From a Real Madrid perspective, it was a night of mixed emotions. Kylian Mbappe and Aurelien Tchouameni saw their World Cup dream end with France, while Marc Cucurella continued his strong run with Spain and is now one win away from becoming a world champion. Kylian Mbappe vs Spain Kylian Mbappe’s tournament had been full of goals and authority, but this was the night Spain finally managed to quieten him. The Real Madrid forward played the full 90 minutes but had a frustrating display, in which he had three shots, none on target, 0.09 xG and completed only one of his six attempted dribbles. Heartbreak for Mbappe. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images) Spain did not allow him to attack space freely, and when he received the ball, there was usually a second defender close enough to close the door. He was also caught offside three times and booked late in the game, which summed up his frustration. France needed him to produce a moment, but Spain kept the match away from the zones where he is most dangerous. Mbappe has had an excellent World Cup overall, but this was a reminder that even the best attackers need structure around them. Aurelien Tchouameni vs Spain Aurelien Tchouameni returned to France’s starting XI after missing the previous two games through injury, partnering Adrien Rabiot in midfield. That alone was a positive for Real Madrid. After any injury concern, seeing Tchouameni start a World Cup semi-final is encouraging. The problem was that France’s midfield never really controlled the rhythm. Spain won the more important duels, handled pressure better and kept their defensive shape tight whenever France tried to progress. Marc Cucurella vs France Cucurella excelled for Spain. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) Marc Cucurella had the happiest night of the Real Madrid trio. The Spain left-back started again and played his part in another clean sheet, as La Roja shut out France for their sixth clean sheet in seven matches at the tournament. Cucurella was booked in the first half, but he managed the rest of the game with maturity. That is exactly what Real Madrid fans will appreciate. Cucurella is not always the most elegant player on the pitch, but he brings bite, timing and competitive edge. Last night, he made sure that he did not give France a moment to breathe and got his defensive interceptions spot on. He even had a late, last-ditch block to stop Mbappe from bundling in a consolation goal for Les Bleus , and that personified his never-give-up attitude. He will now play in the World Cup final, and let us hope he has one more good performance in him before he returns to club duty.