5 min readJul 15, 2026 08:07 PM IST
One of the lasting images of World Cup knockout games are those final lingering shots, the camera trailing the faces of some of the best to be a part of the sport, in their most disappointing moments.
Didier Deschamps’ final moments as coach for France are yet to come, with a third-place playoff, which hardly any team looks forward to, still to be negotiated. But the steady flow of red that kept rushing to his face until the final whistle in the semifinal against Spain was in effect his goodbye to managing France.
The abject French surrender was a crushing end to the reign of a man used to collecting records as player and manager.
AS IT HAPPENED | France vs Spain, FIFA World Cup semifinal
Deschamps may leave with a feeling of ‘what could have been’. Fourteen years of handling probably the most talented group of footballers in international football, arriving pristine out of the Clairefontaine conveyor belt, should have resulted in a stacked trophy cabinet. The French managed to win a World Cup, but the loss to Argentina in the 2022 final, Tuesday’s ouster thanks to Spain, and a solitary UEFA Nations League title may not do justice to the resources at his disposal.
At the European Championships, Deschamps ‘only’ managed a final and a semi-final appearance with his abundance of riches, even though his stint would be considered historic for any country not named France.
There are three losses that will forever grate the Frenchman. Each of them against Spain; each a different version of his team and his riches that he put out, playing out various permutations and tweaking the combinations. The solution never arrived.
Story continues below this ad
France invested heavily in the players. Kylian Mbappe holds unimaginable political power in his country, more so than possibly any player in the prime of their career. Michael Olise was given a free hand over midfield and for all games bar one, the London-born artist painted freely. Ousmane Dembele won two Champions League crowns and the Ballon d’Or, reinvigorating his career when it seemed lost. A team of individual winners, each successful in their own right.
On the other hand, Spain invested in the team. Luis de la Fuente had a hand in nurturing, training and leading many of the Spanish midfielders that lined up against France in the semifinal, throughout age-group football. There have been different occasions at this World Cup where De la Fuente has shun humility and declared Spain as the best midfield in the world.
It wasn’t arrogance, rather pride. He kept faith in Unai Simon when most would have wanted a goalkeeper from a bigger club for Spain. He banked on the quiet determination of Fabian Ruiz over the overflowing gifts of Pedri. He placed faith in the ingenuity of Dani Olmo over the promise of Ferran Torres. He brought on Mikel Merino in moments of need, and most of all, banked on what he knew that he himself had built.
No answer
Deschamps, in the 2024 European Championship semifinal, understood the rise of Spain quicker than most and set a team to hold steady against that force. But Lamine Yamal wandered into the heart of the French midfield and curved his gifted left foot, concocting a curl and a dip that brought the world to its knees.
Story continues below this ad
In the Nations League semifinal, France were fed the deception. Down by four unanswered goals, they went through an hour of public humiliation before Spain let up. Rayan Cherki came on and the French scored four goals but still lost to Yamal’s winner. That game led Deschamps to the idea that France needed to go all out in their offence. It was a fatal error by a coach who failed to recognise the prevailing trend in international football.
Spain came up with the antidote to France at this World Cup. It was to cut the supply to their superstars, starve the best of the ball and watch the team that has run through every defensive set-up thrown at it with ease, gasp for air; chasing rather than dictating. Deschamps fell into the same trap Alex Ferguson had done in the 2011 Champions League final against Barcelona – that contending with the Spanish style of play was more important than the win itself. That the name was bigger than the collective and that Mbappe, Olise, Dembele and Desire Doue could provide an answer. It wasn’t to be then and was not so now either.
France 2026 now line up with Hungary 1954, Netherlands 1974 and Brazil 1982 – all talent, no title. There is an argument to be made that this might be the most gifted group of individuals to ever have come up second-best in a World Cup knockout game. But spare a thought for Deschamps. The game moved on right in front of his eyes. International football at the top level is shifting, moving towards collective teams. France remains an outlier among Spain and Argentina.
There is no scope of redemption now. All that’s left is to wistfully look into the camera one last time before walking away.
