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A dream cut short
Didier Deschamps’ France side have just been knocked out by Spain in the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup.
For many people, the result came as a huge shock.
Not because Spain were considered an easy opponent. Quite the opposite: fans around the world were well aware of the strength of Luis de la Fuente’s side, the 2024 European Championship winners.
Even so, France had been by far the most dominant side in the tournament. They had won every match so far, scored some impressive goals and had been virtually impenetrable at the back.
Regarded by many as the strongest team in the world, there was an expectation that the French would, at the very least, find the net at some point during the semi-final.
But that was not what happened.
Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro scored the goals that brought Les Bleus’ campaign to an end.
Despite the surprise, this is not the first time France have arrived at a World Cup with an extraordinary squad – tipped by many as the hot favourites for the title – only to have their dream cut short along the way.
Let’s look at the other examples, in chronological order.
1958 – third place
For French fans, one of the first major World Cup disappointments dates back to 1958.
Although that tournament is remembered mainly for Brazil’s first title and the emergence of a young Pelé, aged just 17, France also arrived at the tournament surrounded by high expectations and was tipped as one of the favourites to win the title.
And it was no coincidence. The team featured Just Fontaine, who finished as the tournament’s top scorer with 13 goals – a record for the most goals scored by a single player in a single World Cup to this day.
Alongside star player Raymond Kopa, Fontaine led an excellent campaign in the early stages, with thrashing victories of 7–3 over Paraguay and 4–0 over Northern Ireland.
In the semi-final against Brazil, however, the team fell apart.
Much of the defeat was attributed to the serious injury sustained by captain Robert Jonquet, who broke his leg in the 36th minute following a challenge with Brazilian striker Vavá.
At the time, substitutions were not yet permitted at World Cups. Unable to replace the defender, France played virtually the entire second half of the match a man down and were eventually defeated 5–2.
The French still ended their campaign on a high note, thrashing West Germany 6–3 in the third-place play-off.
Even so, their elimination in the semi-final left a bitter taste for a generation that had dreamt of winning their first World Cup title.
Ballon d'Or nominees from the French squad at the 1958 World Cup:
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André Lerond – 1 nomination
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Just Fontaine – 2 nominations
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Raymond Kopa – 6 nominations and 1 win
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Roger Marche – 1 nomination
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Roger Piantoni – 1 nomination
1982 – fourth place
France were to suffer a similar disappointment in 1982, when they reached their first World Cup semi-final since the era of Just Fontaine and Raymond Kopa in 1958.
More than two decades later, the French had another star capable of leading the team: Michel Platini. A three-time Ballon d’Or winner, he had already racked up six nominations for the award by the time the tournament began.
Although the team lost their opening match to England, they bounced back, securing victories over Kuwait, Austria and Northern Ireland.
A dramatic semi-final against West Germany followed.
The Germans opened the scoring in the first half, but Platini equalised for France. In extra time, Marius Trésor and Alain Giresse put the French 3–1 ahead, bringing a place in the final within touching distance.
However, the German comeback was devastating. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge pulled one back, Klaus Fischer equalised, and the match went to a penalty shoot-out.
In the shoot-out, Harald Schumacher saved Didier Six’s spot-kick, and France were ultimately knocked out.
Unlike in 1958, the French also failed to finish their campaign on the podium, losing to Poland in the third-place play-off.
Ballon d'Or nominees in the French squad at the 1982 World Cup:
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Alain Giresse – 4 nominations
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Didier Six – 1 nomination
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Dominique Rocheteau – 1 nomination
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Gérard Janvion – 2 nominations
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Jean Tigana – 2 nominations
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Manuel Amoros – 2 nominations
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Marius Trésor – 5 nominations
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Maxime Bossis – 2 nominations
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Michel Platini – 11 nominations and 3 wins
1986 – third place
Four years later, Michel Platini’s France arrived at the 1986 World Cup determined to put the frustration of the previous tournament behind them.
Confidence was sky-high. The team were fresh from winning the 1984 European Championship on home soil – the first major international trophy in the country’s history – and Platini had already completed his hat-trick of BallBallon d'Or awards, being widely regarded as the best player in the world.
The campaign got off to a lacklustre start, with a 1–0 win over Canada and a 1–1 draw with the Soviet Union. But the team grew in confidence as the tournament progressed, thrashing Hungary 3–0 and knocking out 1982 champions Italy 2–0 in the round of 16.
In the quarter-finals, France knocked Brazil out on penalties, overcoming a side packed with stars such as Zico, Sócrates and Falcão, and secured their place in the last four.
But in the semi-finals, history repeated itself.
Just as in 1982, Germany came out on top, winning 2–0 and ending France’s dream of reaching the final.
This time, however, France at least returned home with the bronze medal, defeating Belgium 4–2 in the third-place play-off.
Ballon d'Or nominees in the French squad for the 1986 World Cup:
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Alain Giresse – 4 nominations
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Jean-Pierre Papin – 5 nominations and 1 win
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Jean Tigana – 2 nominations
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Luis Fernandez – 2 nominations
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Manuel Amoros – 2 nominations
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Maxime Bossis – 2 nominations
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Michel Platini – 11 nominations and 3 wins
2006 – runners-up
Two decades after Platini’s disappointment, France found itself in a similar situation once again, this time with Zinedine Zidane in the lead role.
Despite an inconsistent group stage, the team stepped up at just the right moment and reached the 2006 World Cup final as one of the hot favourites for the title.
The French began with a goalless draw against Switzerland and then drew 1–1 with South Korea, but found their form in the knockout stages.
In the round of 16, they came from behind to beat Spain 3–1. They then knocked out Brazil, the 2002 champions, 1–0, in a result that shocked the world. After all, the Brazilian squad boasted three ‘Ballon d'Or’ winners: Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Kaká.
To top it all off, France had previously knocked out Portugal’s ‘Golden Generation’ in the semi-final, during Cristiano Ronaldo’s first World Cup.
At the heart of these victories was Zidane, a 1998 World Cup winner and Ballon d'Or winner in the same year.
The French squad was so talented that every starter in the final received at least one Ballon d'Or nomination during their careers.
But the dream of a second World Cup title came to a painful end.
After a 1–1 draw, Italy came out on top in the penalty shoot-out.
Although David Trezeguet missed the decisive spot-kick, the image that immortalised that final was Zidane’s sending-off, after he was shown a red card for headbutting Italian defender Marco Materazzi.
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It was a bitter end for one of the greatest players in French history, who bid farewell to the World Cup in the most unexpected way possible.
Ballon d'Or nominees in the French squad for the 2006 World Cup:
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Claude Makélélé – 4 nominations
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David Trezeguet – 5 nominations
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Eric Abidal – 2 nominations
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Fabien Barthez – 5 nominations
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Florent Malouda – 2 nominations
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Franck Ribéry – 5 nominations
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Grégory Coupet – 2 nominations
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Lilian Thuram – 7 nominations
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Patrick Vieira – 6 nominations
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Sylvain Wiltord – 4 nominations
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Thierry Henry – 9 nominations
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William Gallas – 1 nomination
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Willy Sagnol – 1 nomination
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Zinedine Zidane – 11 nominations and 1 win
2022 – runners-up
Four years earlier, France once again missed out on the title, despite fielding one of the strongest squads in the tournament, featuring several nominees for the ‘Ballon d'Or’ award and players who had led the country to their second World Cup title in 2018.
On their way to the final, the French beat Australia, Denmark, Poland, England and Morocco.
The team’s star player was Kylian Mbappé, winner of the Kopa Trophy and voted Best Young Player at the 2018 World Cup.
But despite a historic performance in the final, the striker was unable to lead France to the title.
This is particularly disappointing given his exemplary performance in the final against Argentina – bringing France back from a two-goal deficit to a 3–3 draw by scoring a hat-trick – only the second player in history to do so in a World Cup final, after Geoff Hurst for England in 1966.
He also converted his spot-kick in the penalty shoot-out, finishing the final with four goals scored against goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, that year’s winner of the Yashin Trophy.
Mbappé finished the World Cup as the Golden Boot winner, but in the end it was Lionel Messi and his team who came out on top, converting all their penalties to claim the title.
Ballon d'Or nominees in the French squad for the 2022 World Cup:
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Antoine Griezmann – 5 nominations
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Hugo Lloris – 3 nominations
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Karim Benzema – 12 nominations and 1 win
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Kylian Mbappé – 8 nominations
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Ousmane Dembélé – 1 nomination and 1 win
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Randal Kolo Muani – 1 nomination
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Raphaël Varane – 1 nomination
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William Saliba – 1 nomination
2026 – third or fourth place
Which brings us to this year’s World Cup.
For many fans, Didier Deschamps’ France went into the tournament as one of the hot favourites for the title.
The squad looked like a collection of the world’s best players – featuring established stars and young talents ready to take centre stage.
Their run to the semi-finals had been impressive: France won all their matches, scored 16 goals and conceded just two.
Mbappé was the tournament’s top scorer, level with Messi on eight goals each. Dembélé had also been in fine form, with five goals, whilst Michael Olise was just one assist away from equalling Pelé’s record of six in a single World Cup.
But this time, the dream ended before the final.
France were knocked out by Spain, and now one can only imagine what might have been for such a talented generation.
Ballon d'Or nominees in the French squad for the 2026 World Cup:
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Désiré Doué – 1 nomination
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Kylian Mbappé – 8 nominations
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Michael Olise – 1 nomination
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Mike Maignan – 1 nomination
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N'Golo Kanté – 3 nominations
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Ousmane Dembélé – 1 nomination and 1 win
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William Saliba – 1 nomination
What lies ahead
It remains to be seen whether Luis de la Fuente’s side will manage to win the title – something that would happen for only the second time in the country’s history, following their memorable victory in 2010.
England and Argentina face each other tomorrow to see who will try to prevent that from happening.
For France, the time has now come to lift their heads and look to the future.
Deschamps has already confirmed he will step down as manager, but the French side is far from reaching the end of a cycle. The squad remains brimming with talent, boasting top-class players in virtually every position on the pitch.
World Cup history shows that Les Bleus have endured many painful disappointments, but have also tasted glory twice – in 1998 and 2018.
And, with a new generation of stars emerging, France will certainly try to rebuild and return to challenging for the title in 2030.
