Published July 15, 2026
France reached the World Cup semi-finals, touted as the most exciting attacking force to grace the tournament since Brazil’s legendary 1982 team.
But Kylian Mbappé and his teammates have learned the hard way that brilliant football is no guarantee of survival.
France’s bright and attacking campaign ended flat with a heartbreaking 2-0 defeat.
Of them, Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola and Desir Douai contributed 16 goals in six games as France advanced to Tuesday’s semi-finals.
But in a comprehensive Spanish language masterclass at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, it took France’s vaunted attacker more than 75 minutes to get a shot on target.
By then Spain were in cruise control and leading 2-0. This was because Les Bleus was struggling with the realization that the power of the armory was determined by the power of the ammunition.
Spain’s talented trio of Rodri, Dani Olmo and Fabian Ruiz cut off the supply line from midfield, leaving France with a blank shot.
Meanwhile, Didier Deschamps will step down as France coach, reflecting on the disappointing end to a five-week campaign that seemed destined to end on a high note.
There will also be questions about how Deschamps failed to devise a tactical game plan to counter Spain’s famous passing game.
Mbappé was forced to reflect on the suspension of his campaign. With victory on Tuesday, the 27-year-old will become only the second player in history to appear in three World Cup finals, joining Brazil’s Cafu in 1994, 1998 and 2002.
Instead, the Real Madrid forward will travel to Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium with France for Saturday’s formidable third-place play-off.
But Mbappe struck a defiant tone as France were eliminated from the competition, insisting his talented side had the resources to rise again in the run-up to the 2028 European Championship.
