France eliminated by Spain in World Cup semifinal

Spain has eliminated France from the World Cup semifinals with a 1-0 victory, shattering the French team's hopes of reaching a third consecutive final. The highly anticipated match, described as a final before the final, saw Spain reaffirm its dominance over a French squad that had recently suffered losses to Spain in the Euro 2024 and 2025 UEFA Nations League semifinals.

The defeat carries particular weight for France, occurring on their national day, July 14. This date is somberly remembered for the 2016 terrorist attack on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice. The French players had intended to honor the victims but missed the opportunity to compete for a third World Cup final. Spain, conversely, secured their ticket to a second World Cup final, having previously won in 2010.

Spain's performance was characterized by a solid defense and a fluid, possession-based style of play, remaining true to their identity. The match pitted the tournament's best offense against its strongest defense, with Spain ultimately prevailing. The individual duel between Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal also tilted in favor of the young Barcelona prodigy, who is seen as a revelation of the tournament.

This deserved qualification marks Spain's second World Cup semifinal appearance, and they remain undefeated in the competition. For France, the disappointment is profound, especially given their otherwise impeccable tournament run. The inability to convert opportunities and demonstrate the same efficiency and realism that propelled them to the semifinals leaves the competition with an "unfinished" feeling for Les Bleus. This marks a poignant end to coach Didier Deschamps' final World Cup.