It’s a huge disappointment for the French national team. On Tuesday, July 14, at Dallas Stadium, Les Bleus were eliminated in the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup by Spain with a score of 0-2. It was a crushing defeat that denies France a third consecutive appearance in the final, following those in 2018 and 2022.
From the very first minutes, La Roja imposed its technical mastery and ball movement, forcing Les Bleus to defend deep and absorb the pressure. Things quickly got complicated for Didier Deschamps: after a clumsy challenge by Lucas Digne on Lamine Yamal in the box in the 22nd minute, the referee pointed to the penalty spot. Mikel Oyarzabal coolly converted the penalty to open the scoring. Things took a further turn for the worse for Les Bleus in the 30th minute when William Saliba had to leave the game due to injury and was replaced by Maxence Lacroix.
After returning from the locker room, Deschamps tried to reinvigorate his team by bringing on Manu Koéné in place of Rabiot. While France showed more promise, Spain remained a threat every time they picked up the pace. In the 58th minute, following a perfectly executed team play, Pedro Porro slipped into the box on a give-and-go with Dani Olmo to double the lead with a powerful shot. Despite Mbappé’s attempts and the substitutions of Rayan Cherki and Désiré Doué, France never managed to bring the game back into contention. Spain, unyielding in every aspect of the game and led by a flawless Unai Simón, secured a well-deserved victory.
Les Bleus will now play in the third-place match, a goal far removed from their initial ambitions. This match also marks the end of a historic chapter: it was Didier Deschamps’ final game as head coach of the French national team, after more than ten years at the helm.