Paris... "disappointing"

Paris (AFP) – Feelings of “disgust,” “great disappointment,” and regret prevailed among French national team supporters in Paris, despite the hopes pinned on Kylian Mbappé and his teammates, following France’s 2-0 defeat to Spain in the 2026 World Cup semi-final in Dallas.

Lauren Ngamba, 26, who had come with about ten friends to watch the match at the Grand Boulevard area, said: “I was very confident. 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 had been aiming for.

Chants of “Please, Kylian!” echoed during the match to encourage captain Mbappé and his teammates, but France was never able 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.”

Kwasi, a 26-year-old Parisian author and composer who left before the final whistle, said: “They are the best team in terms of collective play, but that isn’t always enough. Sometimes the outcome is decided by very small details.”

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

For the dream of reaching the World Cup final for the third consecutive time under Didier Deschamps, thousands of supporters gathered in bars, entertainment venues, and restaurant districts in the French capital, where giant screens had been set up for the occasion. Crowds spilled onto sidewalks and bike lanes.

Vibrant neighborhoods in Le Marais (central Paris) and the La Roquette area near Bastille Square were turned into pedestrian zones to allow Parisians to support the national team, while the Paris municipality extended the operating hours of summer terraces.

In anticipation of potential celebrations in case of a victory, authorities deployed large numbers of police officers along the Champs-Élysées before the match, and part of the famous avenue was closed to traffic.

Despite the defeat, Moussa Camara, 26, wearing a blue French national team jersey, commented: “The 2018 team is the one that made me happier than any other team, but what this team has achieved this year remains a major accomplishment.”