France midfielder Rayan Cherki offered a brutally honest assessment after Spain ended Les Bleus’ hopes of reaching the 2026 World Cup final.

France were beaten 2-0 at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday, July 14, after struggling to impose themselves against a composed Spanish side.

According to FIFA’s official match report, Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 22nd minute before Pedro Porro doubled Spain’s advantage shortly before the hour mark.

The result prevented France from reaching a third consecutive World Cup final. Didier Deschamps’ side will instead compete in the third-place match on Saturday, July 18.

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Cherki refuses to make excuses

Cherki made it clear that he did not believe the referee or France’s opponents were primarily responsible for the defeat.

“We lost against ourselves. We did not lose against the referee, and we did not lose against Spain,” Cherki said, as quoted by Le Parisien.

The attacking midfielder said France had been beaten technically, tactically and in the individual battles across the pitch.

He also admitted that Spain had been the superior side on the day, despite maintaining his belief that France possessed enough quality to have won the match.

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Cherki acknowledged that Spain had performed better in every area and suggested they had shown greater determination during the semi-final.

France, by contrast, failed to play with their usual fluency and allowed their opponents to dictate the tempo for long periods.

France struggle to control midfield

Spain’s midfield was central to their victory, with Rodri and Fabián Ruiz helping Luis de la Fuente’s side control possession and restrict France’s attacking players.

Bixente Lizarazu, who won the 1998 World Cup with France, was particularly critical of the difference between the two teams in central areas.

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“We were crushed in midfield,” Lizarazu said, as quoted by L’Équipe.

France struggled to provide consistent service to Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise, while Spain were repeatedly able to play through the French midfield.

Cherki suggested the problem was not simply Spain’s pressure. France occasionally had time to build attacks but failed to use the ball with sufficient composure or purpose.

Emotions prove costly

Cherki also questioned whether France had handled the occasion properly.

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The midfielder suggested that an apparently comfortable route through parts of the tournament may have encouraged a sense that France were capable of overcoming any opponent.

That confidence disappeared when they faced a Spain team able to control both the ball and the rhythm of the match.

Cherki said France had failed to manage their emotions and had not produced the football that carried them to the semi-finals.

Although Spain deserved their victory, his verdict was clear: France’s biggest failure was their inability to perform at their own level when the pressure was at its highest.

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