Following France’s 2-0 semifinal loss to Spain in the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday, July 14, head coach Didier Deschamps publicly challenged the officiating quality. Spain asserted dominance throughout the match, securing their spot in the final with goals from Mikel Oyarzabal via a 22nd-minute penalty and Pedro Porro early in the second half.
France struggled with discipline early on, evidenced by Adrien Rabiot receiving a yellow card in the ninth minute and Lucas Digne conceding a penalty after a challenge on Lamine Yamal. Addressing the media, Deschamps openly doubted whether the match referee, Ivan Burton, possessed the required expertise for such a high-stakes fixture.
The French squad faced offensive difficulties, failing to record a single shot on target during the first half and finishing with a minimal expected goals statistic of 0.31. Amidst the defeat, reports from Fabrizio Romano suggest that Deschamps intends to resign as head coach following the tournament, with Zinedine Zidane considered the favorite to take over the position.
