Rob Woollard France arrived in the World Cup semi-finals, hailed as the most scintillating attacking force to grace the tournament since Brazil’s fabled 1982 side.
But like Zico, Eder, Falcao, and Socrates before them, Kylian Mbappe and company found out the hard way that dazzling football is no guarantee of survival.
A hitherto sparkling French campaign full of offensive pyrotechnics fizzled out like a dud Bastille Day firework in a painful 2-0 defeat that is likely to tarnish the legacy of coach Didier Deschamps.
Between them, Mbappé, Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola and Desire Doue had helped France rattle in 16 goals in six matches en route to Tuesday’s semi-final.
But in a comprehensive Spanish masterclass at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, it took France’s vaunted attacking arsenal more than 75 minutes to even register a shot on target.
By that stage, Spain was on cruise control, leading 2-0 as Les Bleus’ players grappled with the realisation that an arsenal is only as potent as its ammunition.
With the supply lines from midfield severed by Spain’s talented triumvirate of Rodri, Dani Olmo and Fabian Ruiz, France were left firing blanks.
“We kept finding ourselves outnumbered 3-on-2 in midfield,” Mbappé said. “And against Spain, that’s a real problem…When you put it all together, the result is a defeat. It’s a huge disappointment.
“I don’t think we played the match we wanted to play — whether tactically, technically, or in terms of our overall performance level,” Mbappe added.
“And when you don’t do what you’re supposed to do in a World Cup semi-final, you don’t win.”
Deschamps, meanwhile, will depart his position as France manager, reflecting on a bitterly disappointing end to a campaign which over the past five weeks had promised to end in a crowning glory.
It will also leave many wondering how Deschamps failed to come up with a tactical game plan to counter Spain’s renowned passing game.
– ‘Proud of everything’ –
Having already masterminded one World Cup victory in 2018 and taken France to within a penalty shoot-out defeat of another in 2022, a triumphant send-off in New Jersey looked there for the taking.
“It is not really important on a personal level whether I leave this competition in the semi-final or final,” Deschamps insisted.
“It’s not time to talk about the future. And I am extremely happy. I am very proud of everything we’ve done with the national team.
“I have been lucky as a player to enjoy a big moment. Today is not such a moment, but I think we must accept it without forgetting everything that we’ve experienced so far.”
Mbappé, meanwhile, was left reflecting on a campaign cut short. A victory on Tuesday would have seen the 27-year-old become only the second player in history after Brazil’s Cafu in 1994, 1998, and 2002 to grace three World Cup finals.
Instead, the Real Madrid star will be heading to Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium with France to play in the dreaded bronze medal game on Saturday.
But Mbappé sounded a defiant note as France exited the tournament, insisting a squad brimming with talent would have the means to rise again with the 2028 European Championships on the horizon.
“It was a dream for us to reach the final, to give our country the chance to keep dreaming and to make history,” he said.
“Now, it is something we have to face with our heads held high. I believe that when you win, you win with your head held high; so when you lose, you have to lose with your head held high, too.
“But right now, there is immense disappointment. I find it hard to put into words just how disappointed the squad and I are.
“Yet even if it might seem a bit robotic at times, we have to pick ourselves up, go on vacation, and move on to the next chapter. Because football waits for no one. We have to start over, put this failure behind us, and learn from it.”
