World Cup 2026: knocked out by Spain, France finds its scapegoats!

14.07.26 FT World Cup

France

0

:

Spain

2

Eliminated by Spain in the 2026 World Cup semi-finals, Les Bleus are under fire from the press, which is already pointing fingers at several culprits for this collective collapse.

"All that for this," sums up L'Équipe, referring to the French attack touted as the best in the tournament, but which failed to deliver when it mattered most. From Mbappé to Dembélé, including Olise and Barcola, none of the attacking stars stepped up, despite Doué and Cherki coming off the bench.

Read also: World Cup 2026: Mbappé, Lamine Yamal's favorite victim

However, one name stands out in the post-match analysis: Lucas Digne, who was harshly rated 2/10 after conceding the penalty in the 20th minute, and was logically substituted in the second half. Le Figaro summed up the disaster: "Olise failed, Digne at fault, Mbappé and Dembélé powerless."

Meanwhile, La Provence doesn't spare Didier Deschamps, blaming him for missing the tactical mark. According to several media outlets, a major overhaul awaits the future head coach—widely expected to be Zinedine Zidane.

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

Related teams and leagues

France

Spain

World Cup