A Bittersweet End for France's National Team and Their Fiery Attack

France’s exit from the World Cup semi-finals left a sense of unfinished business, following promises raised by a dazzling attacking display throughout the tournament, led by a fiery offensive unit spearheaded by Kylian Mbappé. Yet, after giving so much hope, Didier Deschamps can leave the “Blues” with his head held high.

True, the harsh defeat to Spain (0-2) cast a shadow over the entire squad, as they had set out to win a third title. However, it will not erase the impressive impression this team left over a month, having once again reached the semi-finals after 2018 and 2022—an exceptional achievement.

Although there will be no third star embroidered on the French jersey, France has reaffirmed its status as one of the giants of world football. The task of preserving the legacy of Deschamps’ era—the most glorious in the national team’s history—will fall on his successor, who is strongly expected to be the legend Zinedine Zidane.

Deschamps’ decision to bet entirely on an attack rarely boasting such a concentration of talent was nearly successful and could form a very solid foundation for “Zizou” to build upon.

Bradley Barcola spoke at the beginning of the World Cup about the joy players feel on the pitch, noting their happiness at being able to move freely and interchange positions in various attacking roles.

The Paris Saint-Germain player said: “We play as if we are in the neighborhood. We receive the ball and do what we want, without asking too many questions, and that’s how things work.”

In his final campaign at the helm of the French national team, Deschamps, long classified as a pragmatic coach who paid little attention to style and aesthetics, abandoned his old principles to maximize the potential of an unparalleled attacking unit and the emergence of new talents.

Although Spain proved stronger than France, these “Blues,” mostly young players, have likely secured their place in the future. Their next coach will know he has at his disposal a type of player that the whole world envies France for possessing.

Mbappé, who was worthy of his status as a global football star and has scored eight goals so far, will remain the primary leader. However, he will be able to rely on exceptional assistants such as Ousmane Dembélé, who has finally become decisive for the national team in a role befitting his Ballon d’Or-winning status, and Michael Olise, the creative playmaker who still has time at age 24 to reach broader horizons.

The poor performance of both “Dembele” and Olise in the semi-final will not call into question their places in France’s future national team under Zidane.

Deschamps said after qualifying for the semi-finals: “The three are big players who do not play against each other, but with each other. They are also happy whether one scores or not. They unite in teamwork. And when you have big players, the tactical relationship becomes less complicated.”

Perhaps this naturally attacking side lacked a certain balance, although the defense held firm before collapsing against a strong Spain. There remains one final match to decide third place, on Saturday in Miami.

Kylian Mbappé, star of the French national team, missed a valuable opportunity to reach the World Cup final for the third time in a row, tying with Argentina captain Lionel Messi in the race for the tournament’s Golden Boot, four years after winning this award.

Mbappé failed to create many chances in Tuesday’s evening 2-0 loss to Spain in the World Cup quarter-final.

Mbappe is level with Messi on eight goals, before the Argentine star leads his national team against England in the semi-final match tonight, Wednesday evening.

The Associated Press (AP) reported that Mbappe had the fewest touches in the first half against Spain, with just 15, and his most notable moment came when he tried to convince referee Ivan Barton that the penalty that led to Spain’s first goal was incorrect.

It added that Mbappe missed his closest chance in the 67th minute when his shot hit Spanish defender Marc Cucurella and went wide of the post while Les Bleus were trailing 2-0.

The 27-year-old received a yellow card in the 86th minute as he rushed toward Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simon while the latter was preparing to catch the ball; the two players collided, causing Simon to fall to the ground.

Mbappe started against Spain after being substituted in the 77th minute of France’s 2-0 win over Morocco in the quarter-finals, a match in which he scored his eighth goal of the 2026 World Cup.

Mbappe also scored eight goals in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where France lost the final to Argentina on penalties, and four years earlier, France defeated Croatia to win the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Pedro Porro, who scored Spain’s second goal in their World Cup semi-final match against France, praised his team’s performance. Speaking in comments relayed by the FIFA website, the player said: “It’s a dream come true. It never crossed my mind, not even in my dreams. I am very happy with the team’s performance from start to finish. I think we played a great match and gave everything we had today to reach the final.” He added: “We knew it was a very strong team, a team that had been delivering outstanding performances, and honestly, this is an achievement for the entire team, not a personal one at all. It’s just congratulations to everyone because they played a great match.”

141 people were arrested on the night of Tuesday-Wednesday in Paris and its suburbs during celebrations related to the France-Spain match in the 2026 World Cup semi-finals, according to an initial report from the Paris Police Prefecture.

The Prefecture clarified that these arrests were primarily linked to “the use of fireworks projectiles directed against security forces and emergency services,” and no serious injuries were reported.

Last year, on the same date, 175 people were arrested. During the night of July 13-14, “98 people were arrested, compared to 176” the previous year. Around 7,000 police and gendarme officers were deployed in Paris and its suburbs on July 13 and 14.

Feelings of “disgust,” “great disappointment,” and regret prevailed among French fans in Paris, despite high hopes for Kylian Mbappe and his teammates, following France’s 2-0 loss to Spain in the 2026 World Cup semi-final in Dallas.

Lauren Ngamba, 26, who came with about 10 friends to watch the match in the Grand Boulevard area, said: “I was very confident, and I thought we would reach the final on Sunday to face Argentina and avenge what happened in 2022,” when France failed to secure the third star they were aiming for.

Chants of “Please, Kylian!” echoed during the match to encourage captain Mbappe and his teammates, but France never managed to get back into the game.

Youssef, 19, who preferred not to give his surname, said: “We didn’t feel the same energy that was present at the beginning of the World Cup.”

As for Kwasi, a 26-year-old Parisian author and composer who left before the final whistle, he said: “It’s the best team in terms of collectiveness, but that’s not always enough; sometimes it comes down to very small details.”

Fans were well aware of the difficulty of facing the Spanish national team. The 2010 World Cup champions had won their last two encounters against France, both in the semi-finals: the first at Euro 2024 with a 2-1 scoreline, and the second last year in the UEFA Nations League with a 5-4 victory, in which Spain asserted their dominance over France.

In pursuit of the dream of reaching the World Cup final for the third consecutive time under the guidance of Didier Deschamps, thousands of fans gathered in entertainment venues and restaurants across the French capital, where giant screens were set up for the occasion. Crowds spilled onto sidewalks and bike lanes.