France’s hopes of winning the FIFA World Cup 2026 trophy were dashed as they suffered a painful loss of 2-0 to Spain in the semi-final.
Didier Deschamps’ team was never comfortable as La Roja took control from the very beginning and exploited every weakness in the French side.
Les Bleus got off to a disastrous start. A crucial error in the defense allowed Spain to score first and the situation went from bad to worse for them. The injury to William Saliba just before half-time made their defence even weaker and allowed Spain to take advantage of every mistake and mae it to the final.
Defensive Collapse Costs France
France struggled in defence, and early signs of trouble came from Lucas Digne’s ill-timed tackle on Lamine Yamal. A penalty was awarded, and Mikel Oyarzabal made sure to convert, putting France on the back foot straight away.
Things would not improve for France, as William Saliba had to leave the pitch due to injury before the half an hour mark. Maxence Lacroix substituted the defender, though the change disrupted France’s defence.
Spain kept pushing France with short passes and good positioning, and scored the second goal of the game thanks to Pedro Porro’s great positioning.
France could not defend well, showing poor positioning, bad passes, and lack of communication.
Midfield Domination By Spain
The Spanish midfield came out on top against the French one in what was one of the evening’s biggest clashes. Rodri controlled the pace of play, while Pedri and Fabian Ruiz always managed to find space on the pitch to advance the ball.
The French midfield trio struggled to retain possession and did not provide adequate cover for their defense. Whenever the French side attempted to initiate its attack, the Spanish players pressed them hard to force turnovers.
The lack of control in midfield meant that Kylian Mbappe and the other French forwards operated in isolation. With almost no support in the final third of the field, France hardly posed any danger to Unai Simon’s goal, even despite fielding one of the most potent line-ups in the tournament.