French Analysts Criticize France's Performance and Coach After World Cup Semi-Final Loss to Spain

France, widely regarded as a favorite to win the 2026 World Cup, was eliminated in the semi-finals after a 2-0 defeat to Spain on Tuesday. The French team struggled throughout the match, barely threatening Spain's goal, which drew sharp criticism from French commentators.

Journalist Daniel Riolo singled out Michael Olise, who had been one of France's standout players with five assists in the tournament, for his poor performance under Spain's pressing tactics. Riolo noted Olise lost 20 balls, failed to complete a single dribble, and was substituted in the 72nd minute. He argued Olise's early tournament success was due to the freedom and space he had, which disappeared against Spain's pressure, highlighting the challenges for a traditional number 10 in modern football.

Riolo also criticized the team's overall lack of intensity and urgency, describing how players "disappeared after five minutes" and lacked the will to fight for the ball. He observed that coach Didier Deschamps appeared tense and the players showed concern from the start. Kylian Mbappe was described as lacking his usual vitality, and Ousmane Dembele was barely visible on the pitch.

The choice to start Bradley Barcola over Désiré Doué sparked further criticism, with analyst Walid Ashour arguing Doué deserved to continue after a strong quarter-final performance. Ashour also questioned Deschamps' delayed tactical adjustments during the game, including the timing of substitutions and formation changes. The decision to substitute Adrien Rabiot, who despite a yellow card was one of the few physically competitive players, was called "scandalous" by commentator Julien Laurens.

Laurens also criticized the decision to start Aurélien Tchouaméni, recently returned from injury, instead of Manu Koné, who had been in good form. Ashour compared Deschamps unfavorably to Spain's coach Luis de la Fuente, who made bold lineup decisions. However, analyst Maxime Chanot offered a more balanced view, acknowledging Deschamps' strong tournament record and attributing the loss mainly to the players' technical and mental shortcomings rather than coaching alone.

No official responses from the French team or Deschamps have been released yet.