Eliminated by Spain, France records its worst World Cup semi-final since 1966

France’s team was eliminated from the World Cup in the semi-final by Spain with a 2-0 defeat on Tuesday evening. Dominated throughout the match, the Blues produced only 0.3 expected goals in 90 minutes, their lowest total in the competition since at least 1966, according to Opta data.

Favored by many observers before kick-off, Didier Deschamps’ side never managed to influence the match. Struggling badly in midfield, they failed to put Kylian Mbappé and his teammates in a position to threaten the Spanish goal, settling for scraps in attack throughout the game.

Spain, despite its clear victory, also failed to shine for its efficiency: its 1.63 expected goals include half from the penalty converted by Mikel Oyarzabal. Ten shots on goal, two goals, and a deserved qualification against ghostly Blues.

This defeat ends France’s dream of a third consecutive final. Champions in 2018 against Croatia, beaten on penalties by Argentina in 2022, France stumbles this time in the last four.

Kylian Mbappé made no excuses when assessing the result. “We didn’t play the match we wanted to play. Whether tactically or technically, in the overall level we delivered. And when you don’t do what you’re supposed to do in a World Cup semi-final, you don’t win,” he said after the match. The striker added: “It’s a great disappointment of course, but if we’re objective, we didn’t put all the ingredients together to reach the final.”