France's World Cup campaign ended in disappointment as they fell 2-0 to Spain in the semi-finals, marking their fourth consecutive loss to Spain in knockout matches. Despite a star-studded attack that had scored 13 goals in the first four matches, France failed to mount a comeback after falling behind to Mikel Oyarzabal's 22nd-minute penalty.
France's Attack Stalls
France's forwards, praised globally for their fluidity and clinical edge, struggled to combine meaningfully against Spain's compact defense. Kylian Mbappé, the second top scorer in men's World Cup history, failed to register a single shot on target. His first shot came midway through the second half, as he was forced to drop deeper into midfield to get involved.
Michael Olise, who had drawn comparisons to Michel Platini in the group stage, lost the ball 20 times and struggled to find his rhythm. Ousmane Dembélé did not trouble Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón until the final minutes. The most significant impact from the starting front four came from Bradley Barcola in his defensive contributions, as Lucas Digne struggled to contain Lamine Yamal.
According to Get French Football News, France's forwards, who had looked so at ease swapping positions and combining early in the tournament, became increasingly isolated from each other as the knockout stages progressed. Spain's strategy of locking down the middle third kept the forwards distant from each other and cut off from the rest of the team.
Deschamps' Tactical Missteps
Adrien Rabiot was the only French player who repeatedly broke through Spanish lines, but a yellow card in the 10th minute limited his effectiveness. Deschamps' decision to substitute Rabiot at half-time drastically reduced France's chances of winning the midfield battle. Alongside the recently injured Aurélien Tchouaméni, who often played too deep to influence the match, Manu Koné could not replicate his standout performance against Morocco.
Deschamps made like-for-like changes, but they failed to alter the game's momentum. Désiré Doué and Rayan Cherki were confined to isolated pockets of space, and Théo Hernandez fared no better than Digne against Spanish attacks down the right wing.
Spain's Midfield Dominance
France had lost three consecutive matches to Spain before this semi-final, all in semi-finals or finals. Spain's midfield supremacy, anchored by Rodri, Fabián Ruiz, and Dani Olmo, proved decisive once again. France were overrun in the midfield, with Spain's clearly defined style replicated across all their age groups as part of an all-encompassing strategy. In contrast, France's teams often seem built on a case-by-case basis in response to individual talent.
Didier Deschamps had repeatedly singled out Spain as tournament favorites, whether as a sincere assessment or to reduce pressure on his own team. His observation was backed by recent experience.
The Zidane Era Begins
Deschamps will end his 14-year tenure after Saturday's third-place playoff in Miami. Finishing on the podium at three World Cups would place him as France's best-ever head coach, but the lasting verdict may be that he could have achieved more given the talent at his disposal.
The freedom Deschamps afforded his forwards in this tournament could be seen as a transition towards the Zinedine Zidane era. Zidane, famously non-interventionist with his front three at Real Madrid, is expected to bring continuity. Like Deschamps, Zidane is a pragmatist on the sidelines and commands even greater respect in the dressing room.
Zidane will inherit a relatively young squad and will have goodwill from fans, players, and decision-makers. The 2018 and 2022 World Cup campaigns were the culmination of Deschamps' tactics of control and pragmatism, which took several tournaments to perfect. That approach had run its course by Euro 2024, and Deschamps was right to switch things up. However, expecting such a radical change to click immediately was overly ambitious.
This new-look France team may realize its full potential in four years under Zidane. If so, Deschamps' legacy will be winning a World Cup and laying the foundations for the new era.
