The journey abruptly concludes for the French squad. Les Bleus were eliminated from the 2026 World Cup at the semi-final stage, succumbing to a 2-0 defeat against Spain. In what felt like an early final, the contest proved to be one-sided, with La Roja asserting control over an unthreatening French opposition.

Early setbacks and a penalty for France

The initial half quickly turned into a nightmare scenario for Les Bleus. Amidst a series of intense physical challenges, the Spanish capitalized on the match’s palpable tension to amplify their pressure. This resulted in several dangerous fouls, notably Adrien Rabiot’s early challenge on Dani Olmo.

The decisive blow came in the 20th minute when Lucas Digne, caught unaware by Lamine Yamal’s run behind him, brought down the Spanish forward inside the penalty area. Though the contact appeared minimal, it was sufficient for the referee to award a penalty. Mikel Oyarzabal maintained his flawless record from the spot, confidently converting to open the scoring.

Adding to France’s woes, William Saliba was forced to leave the field due to injury around the half-hour mark, replaced by Maxence Lacroix.

Spain’s masterclass in the second half

At halftime, sensing Adrien Rabiot’s growing agitation and risk of a second yellow card, coach 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 attacking football to secure their second goal. Pedro Porro finished a superb one-two play with Dani Olmo, who, despite being fouled just outside the box, managed to lay off the ball for Porro to smash home. This goal was emblematic of the exceptional performances from two of Spain’s standout players throughout the tournament.

Les Bleus found themselves overwhelmed, and the scoreline nearly worsened moments later. However, Lamine Yamal’s brilliant solo effort, where he cut in from the right flank and fired past Mike Maignan, was ultimately disallowed in the 61st minute.

Deschamps’ efforts prove insufficient

Didier Deschamps certainly made attempts to alter the game’s trajectory. Yet, the introductions of Désiré Doué before the hour mark, followed by Théo Hernandez and Rayan Cherki, failed to truly threaten the well-organized Spanish defense. Conversely, Spain’s coach, Luis de la Fuente, also had formidable options on his bench, bringing on Ferran Torres, Pedri, Mikel Merino, and Nico Williams.

The French tried desperately to ignite their attack in the final ten minutes of regular time but struggled to create clear-cut chances or even test the goalkeeper. A notable opportunity arose when Unai Simon ventured outside his box, but Désiré Doué hesitated, opting against a lob and ultimately failing to capitalize.

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