Anthony McIntyre ⚽ It was much like watching Arne Slot’s Liverpool side from his second and final season in charge. Big hat no cattle.
With neither cohesion nor coherence to their play, France - despite all the hype carried into the game based on scintillating soccer, the frontal assault mentality, the dazzling displays, the prodigious ability, the exhilarating fluidity, the promise - simply did not turn up to win the only game standing between them and their third consecutive World Cup final. Tournament favourites, they came in with a bang and went out with a whimper. A serious disappointment not only to their own supporters but to lovers of the beautiful game in general who gathered to watch giants and saw only midgets.
A matter of days ago sports columnists were asking if this would turn out to be the best les Bleus side ever. On the strength of last night’s performance the side that turned out compares more with the team of 2002 that failed ignominiously to defend the trophy it secured for the first time in Paris four years earlier: no wins, no goals, elimination in the group stage.
If we sigh in disappointment, and take a more panoramic view, looking back for comparison to the great Brazil side of 1982 - the explosive team that boasted they did not care who they met in the final, they were going to win it anyway - we would be instantly reminded that the Zico-Socrates side went out having played the best match of the tournament. They went down to Italy fighting, not like France's graceless exit. The Socrates equalizer remains one of the great goals of World Cup history.
Spain who have stuttered for much of World Cup 2026, relying on late strikes from Merino to get games across the line, put in a solid performance. Their game plan superb, they were worthy of their victory, dominating France in every area of the park and using every blade of grass to ensure passes reached their target. French passing was, again, much like that of Slot's side. Spanish coach Luis de la Fuente might be a tad premature with his claim that Spain is 'the best team in the world’ after last night's victory, but few would deny him the megaphone. One more game and the answer will be revealed.
Didier Deschamps' side might feel hard done by over the penalty decision awarded against Lucas Digne but the former English Premier League man went from Villa to villain for displaying no sense of awareness that a player of the threat posed by Lamine Yamal was bearing down on him. Even if it was handball by Yamal, and it is highly disputable, Digne has no grounds to petition for a fool's pardon for his unpardonable lack of concentration. Had Saliba stayed on the pitch it was unlikely to have made any difference. In such situations a side with the depth of France should swiftly recalibrate and move on. They failed.' As Mbappe observed in his post match interview: When you don't do what you have to do in a World Cup semi-final, you don't win.' France didn't just fail to win, they lost miserably.
Spain who have stuttered for much of World Cup 2026, relying on late strikes from Merino to get games across the line, put in a solid performance. Their game plan superb, they were worthy of their victory, dominating France in every area of the park and using every blade of grass to ensure passes reached their target. French passing was, again, much like that of Slot's side. Spanish coach Luis de la Fuente might be a tad premature with his claim that Spain is 'the best team in the world’ after last night's victory, but few would deny him the megaphone. One more game and the answer will be revealed.
Didier Deschamps' side might feel hard done by over the penalty decision awarded against Lucas Digne but the former English Premier League man went from Villa to villain for displaying no sense of awareness that a player of the threat posed by Lamine Yamal was bearing down on him. Even if it was handball by Yamal, and it is highly disputable, Digne has no grounds to petition for a fool's pardon for his unpardonable lack of concentration. Had Saliba stayed on the pitch it was unlikely to have made any difference. In such situations a side with the depth of France should swiftly recalibrate and move on. They failed.' As Mbappe observed in his post match interview: When you don't do what you have to do in a World Cup semi-final, you don't win.' France didn't just fail to win, they lost miserably.
French Newspaper L'Equipe was scathing in its criticism of the national team's performance, rating Digne, Dembele and Olise 2/10. Mbappe did little better managing only 3/10. Compare that to the ratings of Spain's Porro and Dani Olmo with 8/10, and the chasm opens up to expose its vastness.
England take on Argentina in around thirty minutes time and are more than capable of making it through to the final. The English have grown into this tournament and have dug deep when most needed. They have a stronger and more dynamic midfield than the Argentinians and are not as overly reliant in front of goal on one towering talent. While Argentina could go all the way, there is a feel of the 1986 Mexico squad to the current crop. Without Maradona that team would never have won the World Cup. Messi is the main man here but in 86 Maradona was 25 whereas Messi is almost 40. An old dog for the hard road might find that old legs won't carry it the distance.
