The journey for the French team has come to an abrupt end. Les Bleus were eliminated from the 2026 World Cup in the semi-finals, falling to a dominant Spain with a 2-0 scoreline. What many had anticipated as a fiercely contested match, akin to an early final, ultimately saw Spain assert complete control over the proceedings against an uncharacteristically ineffective French squad.

First-half woes: penalty and injury plague France

The opening half proved to be a nightmare for the French contingent. In a series of intense physical exchanges, the Spanish side skillfully leveraged the match’s inherent tension to escalate their pressure. This led to several dangerous fouls, notably Adrien Rabiot’s challenge on Dani Olmo in the early minutes.

The decisive blow arrived 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 spot-kick. Mikel Oyarzabal, maintaining his perfect penalty record, calmly converted to open the scoring for Spain.

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

Spain’s masterclass in the second goal

At halftime, sensing Adrien Rabiot’s growing frustration and risk of a second yellow card, Didier Deschamps made a midfield substitution, bringing on Manu Koné. Despite his impressive performance against Morocco, the AS Roma player was unable to halt the relentless Spanish offensive.

In the 58th minute, La Roja delivered a masterclass in offensive play to secure their 2-0 lead. Pedro Porro finished a brilliant one-two with Dani Olmo, who managed to return the ball despite being fouled at the edge of the box, effectively sealing the victory. This play was emblematic of the stellar performances from both players throughout the tournament.

With their backs against the wall, France nearly conceded a third goal moments later. Lamine Yamal, after a solo run from the right wing and cutting inside to beat Mike Maignan, saw his effort disallowed in the 61st minute.

Deschamps’ fruitless attempts to rally the troops

It cannot be said that Didier Deschamps didn’t try to change the game’s momentum. However, his tactical substitutions proved insufficient to turn the tide. The introductions of Désiré Doué before the hour mark, followed by Théo Hernandez and Rayan Cherki, failed to penetrate the formidable Spanish defense. Conversely, Spain’s coach, Luis de la Fuente, had a wealth of talent on his bench and didn’t hesitate to deploy Ferran Torres, Pedri, Mikel Merino, and Nico Williams, who all contributed to maintaining their team’s dominance.

The French players made desperate attempts to ignite their attack in the final ten minutes of regular time but struggled to create clear-cut chances or even test the goalkeeper. This included a poorly executed opportunity when Unai Simon ventured outside his box, which Désiré Doué failed to capitalize on with a lob.

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.