Dallas wasn’t kind to France. And Rayan Cherki didn’t sugarcoat it.
The 22-year-old Manchester City midfielder, who came off the bench late in Tuesday’s World Cup semifinal, told Fox Sports’ Jenny Taft that his team lacked just about everything in a 2-0 loss to Spain. France, the tournament favorite, never looked comfortable. Spain looked like they’d been planning this for months.
“In so many ways France was missing everything today,” Cherki said. “These World Cups only come around every four years maybe. Not the one for us. But really everything was missing today.”
Cherki said France won’t repeat the mistakes when the next World Cup rolls around. But that’s cold comfort right now. The truth is Spain outplayed France in almost every phase of the game, and the 49-51 possession split doesn’t tell the full story. France had the ball plenty. They just didn’t do anything with it.
Spain’s midfield took over early
Rodri and Dani Olmo controlled the middle of the park from the opening whistle. France’s attackers — Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise — were ghosts for long stretches. Olise, usually so sharp, had an unusually sloppy night. Loose touches, passes that missed their mark, moments where he seemed half a step behind the play.
Spain struck first in the 22nd minute. Lamine Yamal, just 18 years old, had Lucas Digne on skates all night. He drew a penalty, and Mikel Oyarzabal buried it. From there Spain played a smart, patient game. They didn’t rush. They didn’t panic. They just kept the ball, kept France chasing, and looked for opportunities on the break.
France lost center back William Saliba to a hamstring injury in the 29th minute. Didier Deschamps brought on Manu Kone at halftime. Nothing really changed. The attacking fluidity France showed in earlier rounds was gone.
“We all felt it,” Cherki said. “Nobody could find the rhythm. It wasn’t one player. It was the whole team.”
Cherki himself barely saw the field all tournament. He’ll go home wondering if he could have done more with more minutes. He isn’t alone in that.
Spain’s defense deserves credit too
Yes, France was off. But Spain made them look off. The back line was organized, physical, and smart. Aymeric Laporte and Pau Torres kept Mbappe quiet. Yamal kept Digne pinned in his own half. Oyarzabal, playing central, held the ball up well and drew fouls when Spain needed to slow things down.
These aren’t the flashiest names in world football. But Spain plays a system, not a style built around individuals. They execute with discipline. That’s a hard thing to crack when you’re off your game.
Spain now waits for the winner of England vs. Argentina. They’ll go into that final with confidence. And honestly? They’ve earned it.
France heads home early. Four years feels like a long time from here.
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