The journey for the French team has come to an abrupt end. Les Bleus were eliminated from the 2026 World Cup at the semi-final stage, falling 2-0 to a formidable Spanish squad. What many anticipated as an early final proved to be a one-sided affair, with Spain dictating play against an uncharacteristically subdued French offense.

First half misfortune: a penalty and an injury for France

The opening half quickly devolved into a nightmare for the French side. Amidst a series of intense physical exchanges, the Spanish players skillfully leveraged the match’s high stakes to exert relentless pressure. This led to several critical fouls, notably Adrien Rabiot’s early challenge on Dani Olmo.

The decisive blow landed in the 20th minute when Lucas Digne, caught unaware, brought down Lamine Yamal inside the penalty area. While the contact appeared minimal, it was sufficient for the referee to award a penalty. Mikel Oyarzabal confidently stepped up to the spot, maintaining his perfect record from penalties in the tournament by converting to open the scoring.

Further adversity struck France around the half-hour mark when William Saliba was forced to leave the field due to injury, with Maxence Lacroix entering as his replacement.

Spain’s masterclass in the second goal

At halftime, sensing Adrien Rabiot’s growing tension and risk of a second yellow card, coach Didier Deschamps opted for a midfield change, bringing on Manu Koné. Despite his impressive performance against Morocco, the AS Roma player was unable to stem the tide of the Spanish offensive.

In the 58th minute, La Roja delivered a footballing lesson with a brilliantly constructed play that resulted in their second goal. Pedro Porro was on hand to finish a sublime one-two with Dani Olmo, who managed to deliver the ball despite being fouled at the edge of the box. This decisive goal underscored the exceptional form of both players, who have been standout performers for Spain throughout the tournament.

The French found themselves overwhelmed, and the scoreline nearly worsened moments later. Lamine Yamal’s solo effort, cutting in from the right flank to beat Mike Maignan, was ultimately disallowed in the 61st minute.

Deschamps’s tactical struggles

It cannot be said that Didier Deschamps refrained from attempting to alter the game’s trajectory. However, his substitutions, including the introductions of Désiré Doué before the hour mark, followed by Théo Hernandez and Rayan Cherki, failed to penetrate the resolute Spanish defense. Conversely, Luis de la Fuente, Spain’s coach, had a wealth of talent on his bench and deployed Ferran Torres, Pedri, Mikel Merino, and Nico Williams to great effect.

The French players made desperate attempts to ignite their attack in the final ten minutes of regular time, yet they couldn’t find a way to convert their chances or even test the Spanish goalkeeper. A notable opportunity arose when Unai Simon ventured out of his area, but Désiré Doué hesitated to attempt a lob, squandering the chance.

Consequently, Spain will now compete in their first World Cup final since their triumph in 2010. La Roja awaits the winner of Wednesday evening’s semi-final clash between Argentina and England.