France’s golden generation left heartbroken as Zidane era beckons

DALLAS, Texas, July 15 : France's World Cup semi-final exit left one of the country's most gifted generations grappling with yet another heartbreak, but a new era beckons, with Zinedine Zidane expected to harness the squad's extraordinary individual talent in a bid to deliver a third global title.

Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat by Spain was particularly painful because of the manner in which it came. 

France had arrived in Dallas on the back of six consecutive wins and dreaming of a third successive World Cup final but, confronted with their first truly formidable test of the tournament, they were outplayed technically and tactically and never looked capable of changing the balance of the contest.

It was their third successive major semi-final defeat by Spain, following Euro 2024 and the Nations League, and another missed opportunity for a group featuring Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise, Desire Doue, Bradley Barcola and a host of players who should still be approaching or enjoying their peak when Euro 2028 and the 2030 World Cup come around.

For all that talent, France were unable to impose themselves when the stakes were highest. Spain controlled possession and tempo, while France’s attempts to press them into mistakes failed amid too many technical errors.

"We didn't play the match we wanted to play, whether tactically or technically," Mbappe said. "When you don't do what you're supposed to do in a World Cup semi-final, you don't win."

The captain acknowledged that Spain were superior at controlling the game and said France had failed to alter the balance of power. 

"We lost to ourselves. We didn’t lose because of the referee, and we didn’t lose to Spain,” second-half substitute Rayan Cherki said.

2010 WORLD CUP CHAOS

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