Photos: France’s fireworks fade as Spain advance to World Cup final | World Cup 2026

France reached the semifinals of the World Cup which was said to be the most exciting team to prepare for the tournament since Brazil in 1982.

But Kylian Mbappe and his teammates found out the hard way that a good looking football is no guarantee of survival.

A brilliant French battle had arrived flat end and a painful 2-0 defeat.

Between them, Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola and Desire Doue helped France score 16 goals in six games en route to Tuesday’s semifinal.

But really Spanish masterclass At AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, it took the highly-acclaimed French artillery more than 75 minutes to register the target shot.

At the time, Spain were on a cruise, taking a 2-0 lead as Les Bleus fought back and realized that their weapons were only as strong as their weapons.

With the trade lines between the players cut by the Spanish trio of Rodri, Dani Olmo and Fabian Ruiz, France were left to shoot.

Meanwhile, Didier Deschamps has stepped down as France manager, following a disappointing end to a campaign that for five weeks looked set to end in glory.

It will also raise questions about how Deschamps failed to develop a game plan against the Spanish giants.

Mbappe was left to reflect on a campaign cut short. Victory on Tuesday would make the 27-year-old the second player in history, after Brazil’s Cafu in 1994, 1998 and 2002, to play in the World Cup final.

Instead, the Real Madrid forward will head to Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium to face France in Saturday’s fierce third-place match.

However, Mbappe spoke defiantly as France crashed out of the tournament, insisting that a team full of talent can rise again, with the 2028 European Championship on the horizon.