Spain beats France 2-0 in Dallas Stadium's last game
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Spain has advanced to the men's World Cup final for the second time in its history. Photo: David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images.
Spain stunned star-studded France 2-0 on Tuesday in Dallas Stadium's last World Cup match to secure a spot in Sunday's World Cup final.
Why it matters: North Texas hosted nine World Cup matches, the most of any region this tournament.
Vibe check: Steve Aoki DJ'd a short set from a concourse before Tuesday's semifinal, making the stadium vibrate and flash like a Las Vegas club.
- Zac Brown Band performed "Chicken Fried" and "Homegrown" during halftime.
State of play: Spain dominated France throughout the game, controlling the tempo and shutting down France's vaunted attack.
- As the minutes wound down and it became apparent Spain would win, "ole" chants filled the stadium. Many fans lingered after the final whistle to take photos and soak in the moment.
- "The match felt different here than anywhere else. This [win] is so big. This is huge. So you can feel it," said Myriam Solana, who traveled from Barcelona with her family for the semifinal.
Fun fact: All four of the semifinalists played at least one match at Dallas Stadium.
- Spain knocked Portugal out of the tournament at Dallas Stadium last week.
- "It's always nice to go back to the place you were happy," Spain's Pedro Porro said in a post-game interview on Tuesday.
Follow the money: The tournament's economic impact on North Texas will not be fully known for months, but organizers say the influence stretches far beyond money.
- "These games here in North Texas have changed opinions about what people think of Americans, what they think of Texans, what they think of us in North Texas," Arlington Mayor Jim Ross says.
What's next: Dallas Stadium will now transition back to AT&T Stadium. The Coca-Cola branding will go away and the Dallas Cowboys' turf will replace FIFA's grass pitch.
The bottom line: "Regardless of who ultimately lifts that [World Cup] trophy, something lasting has already happened here. Millions of people have discovered North Texas, and all we have to offer," says Monica Paul, president of North Texas' World Cup organizing committee.