Paris expected a celebration. Instead, the French capital was left in silence after Spain defeated France 2-0 in the World Cup semi-finals.

Supporters wearing blue shirts had filled the city throughout Tuesday, July 14. By early evening, café terraces were crowded and streets in the 11th arrondissement echoed with songs as fans prepared for what many believed would be another successful night for Didier Deschamps’ side.

France had won all six of their previous matches at the tournament and entered the semi-final with one of the strongest squads in world football. In Paris, confidence appeared almost universal.

That belief began to disappear when Spain were awarded a penalty midway through the first half.

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Penalty changes the atmosphere

Lucas Digne attempted to clear the ball inside the penalty area but caught Lamine Yamal after the Spanish winger reached it first.

Referee Iván Barton pointed to the spot, and Mikel Oyarzabal converted the penalty in the 22nd minute.

At Café Divan, a crowded venue in the 11th arrondissement, the decision was met with disappointment rather than outrage.

“Let’s not kid ourselves, that’s a penalty every day,” supporter Ulysse said, according to Marine Pattyn’s report from Paris for L’Équipe.

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The goal immediately changed the mood. France had not previously fallen behind at the tournament, and Spain’s control of possession gave supporters little reason to believe an equaliser was imminent.

By half-time, the confidence that had defined the hours before kick-off had been replaced by concern.

“We underestimated Spain”

France possessed an attack featuring Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise and Bradley Barcola, leading many supporters to believe Spain would struggle to contain them.

Instead, the French forwards found little space against an organised defence, while Rodri and Fabián Ruiz controlled the central areas.

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“We underestimated Spain,” said Nolan, 28.

“With our attack, we see ourselves as the Galácticos. We thought we would roll over them, but they are very solid.”

France had entered the match as one of the favourites to win the competition, but Spain looked calmer and more coherent from the opening stages.

Deschamps’ side struggled to progress through midfield and rarely managed to place goalkeeper Unai Simón under sustained pressure.

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The score remained only 1-0 at half-time, allowing supporters on rue de la Roquette to continue singing as the teams returned to the pitch.

Their optimism would not last much longer.

Second goal silences Paris

Spain doubled their advantage in the 58th minute.

Pedro Porro combined with Dani Olmo before finishing beyond Mike Maignan, giving Luis de la Fuente’s side a commanding lead.

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As recorded in L’Équipe’s live report from the semi-final, France responded with greater urgency after the second goal but were unable to turn their possession into a successful comeback.

The second strike silenced the terraces in Paris. Supporters who had spent the evening singing began exchanging worried looks as the possibility of elimination became unavoidable.

France continued to attack, and every run from Mbappé briefly lifted the crowd.

Some supporters remembered the 2022 World Cup final, when the forward scored twice in less than two minutes before completing a hat-trick against Argentina.

“Mbappé already did it in 2022 against Argentina,” Léa said. “We can do anything.”

This time, however, there would be no recovery.

Spain remained disciplined, protected their penalty area and prevented France’s attacking players from finding a clear route towards goal.

Anger replaces confidence

The final whistle confirmed that France would not appear in a third consecutive World Cup final.

Spain’s victory was difficult for supporters to dispute. The penalty had been awarded correctly, and the French team had created too little to claim that the result was undeserved.

That recognition only deepened the frustration.

“We are at the end of our tether,” supporters Marc, Hugo and Pauline said after the final whistle.

“We had not imagined a single scenario in which France lost. It is professional misconduct, because we have the best players in the world and the match was not even stolen from us. We simply showed nothing.”

Their assessment captured the mood across the terraces: disappointment mixed with disbelief at the contrast between France’s talent and their performance.

The defeat was not viewed as an unfortunate elimination decided by a refereeing mistake or an isolated moment of brilliance. Spain had been the better team, and France had failed to respond.

The party ends early

Within minutes of the final whistle, the crowded terraces began to empty.

The songs that had filled the streets earlier in the evening were replaced by quiet conversations about the performance, the tactics and the failure of France’s leading players to influence the match.

France’s World Cup is not completely over. Deschamps’ side will still compete in the third-place play-off.

For supporters in Paris, however, the match that mattered had already been lost.

The city had prepared for another final and another opportunity to celebrate a team that had reached the deciding match in both 2018 and 2022.

Instead, Spain brought the party to an abrupt end.