France eliminated in World Cup semifinal by Spain – Deschamps takes stock after 0:2 in Dallas

The starting point: foul on Yamal and penalty

After the break, Pedro Porro doubled the lead following a delightful one-two with Dani Olmo. The wing-back sliced through the entire French defense and finished from close range to make it 2-0. Spain subsequently dropped back, waited for counterattacking opportunities, and let ball and opponent circulate with control. Even a goal by Lamine Yamal in the 61st minute did not stand due to a razor-thin offside call.

France, which had been looking to reach a third consecutive World Cup final, remained largely subdued for long stretches. Only in the closing stages did the Equipe Tricolore create chances of note. Kylian Mbappé was denied from a tight angle by Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón in the 64th minute, and three minutes later his effort from 16 meters flew narrowly past the post after Cucurella had blocked the initial attempt. A final opportunity in the 81st minute came too late.

Deschamps takes stock: "We tried, we failed"

Coach Didier Deschamps appeared disenchanted after the match. "The disappointment in the dressing room is huge," said the 57-year-old, who has been in charge since 2012 and will sit on the French bench for the last time on Saturday. "We tried, we failed." His team had been "too weak," he concluded. Even a follow-up question about the attacking approach was answered curtly by Deschamps with reference to the missed final: "I don't know what it was down to either."

France had already suffered a personnel setback after just 30 minutes: defender William Saliba had to leave the field injured and was replaced by Maxence Lacroix. By the 72nd minute, Deschamps had used up all his substitutions, with none of the changes having any effect. "We weren't able to combine the way we're used to," the coach noted.

International press reaction: From "red wave" to "disaster"

The international press landscape delivered a unanimous verdict. The Spanish sports newspaper Marca headlined "Spain is in the World Cup final!" and singled out Rodri as the team's leader. Mundo Deportivo wrote: "Spain were the better team than France for long stretches. Mbappé, Olise, Dembélé and Barcola wanted to use their pace to get the Spaniards running, but in the end it was they who kept chasing the ball."

The Paris evening paper Le Parisien evoked the image of a "red Spanish wave": "On this Tuesday evening in Dallas, Les Bleus were overwhelmed by the red Spanish wave." L'Équipe spoke of a "Disaster in Dallas" and noted that Spain had not faced any real acid test in the tournament so far. The British tabloid The Sun ran the headline "Bleu them away."

Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport celebrated Spain's return to the big stage: "Spanish revolution in Dallas: Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro destroy France on 14 July 2026." Corriere dello Sport highlighted the historical dimension: "After 16 years, La Roja is back in the final." Indeed, Spain had last reached a World Cup final in 2010 – back then via a goal by Carles Puyol against Germany.

Spain coach de la Fuente: "Extremely happy"

For de la Fuente, the semifinal represented another historic chapter following last year's Nations League final loss to Portugal. "They kept their word," wrote the Spanish daily El País. Pedri had announced the final date on Instagram and made good on the promise. The coach himself spoke of a special moment: "I find it hard to put my feelings into words. We are extremely happy." Shortly afterwards he doubled down on Spanish television channel La 1: "We had to play against one of the best national teams in the world – but they were up against the very best team in the world."

De la Fuente also reported a phone call from the Spanish King after the match: "It makes us so proud that our King called us and that we could give the people in the streets such joy." Looking ahead to the final in East Rutherford, he set out the objective: "Now we have taken that last step and want to win this title."

The historical backdrop could hardly have been less favorable for the French: the semifinal fell on 14 July, the French national holiday. The newspaper Le Parisien spoke of an "irony of history." The Argentine daily Clarín concluded: "La Roja delivers a magnificent performance, dominates the match and is the deserved winner. The duel between Mbappé and Lamine Yamal goes in favor of the Barcelona star."

Exit on the national holiday: an irony of history

With the defeat, France's dream of a third consecutive World Cup final is over. In 2018, Les Bleus won the title; in 2022, they lost the final against Argentina. Now only the third-place match awaits on Saturday (18 July, kickoff 23:00 CEST) in Miami. The opponent will be determined on Wednesday evening (21:00 CEST, live on ARD) in the second semifinal between England and Argentina in Atlanta.

At the same time, the elimination marks the departure of Didier Deschamps after 14 years as national team coach. According to media reports, his successor is to be Zinédine Zidane. Deschamps set a record with his 26th World Cup match as national team coach, surpassing former Germany coach Helmut Schön. Thierry Henry publicly thanked him: "I would like to thank Didier Deschamps for what he has done for this team."

Deschamps' farewell and the look ahead

The final on Sunday (21:00 CEST) in East Rutherford/New Jersey will pit Spain against the winner of England versus Argentina. The British are chasing their first World Cup title since 1966; defending champions Argentina are led by Lionel Messi, who continues to top the World Cup all-time scoring list. Mbappé, who has scored eight goals in the tournament so far, has only the small final left with France.

Pedro Porro, the scorer of the second goal, summed up the night: "I couldn't have dreamed of this." Looking ahead to the final, the Spanish sports newspaper AS sent a clear message to the team and its supporters: "We want the second star!"

Conclusion: Spain deservedly won the 2026 World Cup semifinal, advancing to their second World Cup final in history with composure, control, and tactical discipline. France, meanwhile, miss not only the final but must settle for the third-place match – and the end of an era under Didier Deschamps.