France came into the World Cup Semifinals expecting a big performance from their stars, which did not materialize. In a must-win match vs. Spain, many of France’s stars failed to capitalize on the moment, losing 2-0 to a talented Spain side. The Golazo Matchday crew breaks down what went wrong for France, why Mbappe didn’t have an impact, and what this means for French football.
00:00 – France have too many individuals? Olivier Giroud answers
02:33 – Attacking threat for France was lacking
04:55 – How will Didier Deschamps be remembered?
06:25 – French football is in a very good spot, despite loss
08:03 – Expectations were very high, this will hurt
09:12 – Dembele, Ballon d’Or winner went missing
10:45 – Stars didn’t show up, would they have won on a different day?
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Being American I'm not a soccer expert. But while watching that game I could tell that France was flat and listless. I was thinking how they looked tired and lacked a sense of urgency. Maybe the Paraguay game caught up to them, where Paraguay beat them up with dirty play.
Spain was the strongest tonight…..that's it. They outclassed us…..their no debate on that. Well actually you can say a lot of things…..tactically, strategically, in the mentallity…….a looooot of things…..but anyway……they were better in every compartiment of the game……bravo Spain…..no discussions……
If this spain attack was as sharp as last time they met it would have been 5 -0 score line Easy. Respect spain. They make big teams look ordinary. People dont watch Spanish football and talkboutbof emotions.
Congrats to France for being handed the world cup by the pundits and youtubers. Mbappe looked so cozy in my boy cubarsi's pocket. And the balon d'or winner's performance was chef's kiss
How ignorant can you be to refuse to give Spain their credit and conclude that its just cause France slept thtat game these are the same british brain thatll tell you Guardiola won everything he won bevause he was luck england was in a a deought of great coaches and players in his era please…. Stop speaking on football
I listen many studio the alaynise the game before and after the game people they think that's Spain is weak team or easy team they forget that's Spain is in the contender to win this world cup period second France loose two semi final againts Spain and last nite is. 3 times in row and Spain they very organiser team cleaver young players very creative. Displine defence there are sharp the pressure from front line and in all that's they hold very parfect the ball they keep ball and when they loose they got back on 11 to 15 second. So in team like that's why France expecting. Spain. Not morroco not Paraguay Spain is Spain is champions of uerope I'm not suprise Spain beat France is not suprise at all and non of Argentina ao england can match Spain in final
France couldn't get or keep the ball, that's why they lost its that simple 😂😂😂
You didn't give Spain a chance,
Spain well structured
This Spain is on par or better defense than the Maldini's Italy!!!! Spain allowed 1 goal whole WC!!!!
These pundits are so unintelligent. Why didn't France turn up its because Spain played them off the Park. Simple. France would destroy any other teams but not Spain.
I didn’t like the way the media were writing off Spain and bigging us up so much, always tends to end up leading to a result like this. Our boys didn’t turn up and Spain were just utterly dominant. Outclassed, was gutting to watch and now we have the dreaded 3rd place play off to sign off Deschamps reign
Afrika lost?
The bald guy is awful. Has been overrating France and underrating Spain all along and now thinks it is a matter of "not showing up". Why do you even hire "experts" like these? The guy seems like an uninformed fan (a tool, really). Spain played France twice before this game in the past 2 years (thrice, if you count the Olympics game), scenario was the same. Spain play a team game, France play individual game. Spain dominate and suffocate teams. It has happened time after time. He seemingly has not studied what happened before, he just keeps repeating "for some magical reason, the stars did not show up". OK, why did they not? Did they have a bet? Go and watch some past games you absolute tool.
Spain are ALIENS from 2008!Spain is simply stronger than France.Spain is on another level compared to France!France is one of the best national teams in the world just about players but not for style of play,Spain is the best national team in the world about style of play and players!Spain plays the best football on the planet from 2008!Spain deserves the world cup because from 2008 is simply the best national team of the world by far!It s very simple!They play like Man City or Barcelona under Guardiola time!!They are Monsters!!Spain are ALIENS!
France 🇫🇷 the greatest team ever. Yeah in 2022 on PAPER and in 2024 on PAPER and once again in 2026 ON PAPER
FRANCE 🇫🇷 have always had the best squads for large periods of past 15 or so years BUT ON PAPER.
Another World Cup big match partially spoiled by Soccer's inability to get penalties right. In this case, although the 1st half penalty came from a clear foul, once again the cost to France was not proportionate to the infraction committed. As many have said recently, goals are very consequential in soccer, and especially knock out soccer. In my opinion, penalties with a 75 to 80% probability of a goal should not be handed-out where the crime does not fit the punishment. So why do the rules of the game continue to allow penalties disproportionate to their context? Lamine Y. had ZERO possession of the ball and had he not been fouled, no significant scoring opportunity was likely present. All he did was aggressively run at a loose ball hoping for contact. That penalty goal sets the game off on a path that is difficult to recover from. Now I'm not saying there should not be penalties, but I am saying that we need at least 2 grades of penalties to better fit the crime. One grade with a high probability of scoring, such as it is now, and a 2nd grade with a lower probability of scoring – such as a penalty taken from a distance that produces maybe half the probability of success (ie 40% goal outcome). They would have to experiment a little, but why not a 2nd penalty spot at 16 yards for example? I've been watching thousands of World Cup matches since 1970 and penalty awards are a MAJOR FLAW in the sport's structure that rears it's ugly head over and over and over again. Today, that foul certainly contributed to the outcome more than it maybe should have.
The simple solution is 2 penalty spots with all fouls inside the penalty box being divided into major or minor penalties(12 or 16 yard for example). All match outcomes would be SO MUCH MORE FAIR and it would even make the sport more exciting to watch. And most importantly, it would remove the high stakes anxiety officials now have of calling or not calling a penalty when we know fouls can be tough to interpret and yet, more often than not, decide match outcomes. The penalty box and spot kick was added to the rules in 1902 – we are LONG overdue for a more nuanced solution to a sport that averages 2.7 goals per match.
The fact that people were ready to declare this france team as similar to Brazil 2002
I remember giroud’s performance against Argentina in the last wc. I don’t think he touched the ball once for the entirety of 42 minutes he played
🇪🇸 has been fantastic in possession and in defense. But they have not been impressive when it comes to scoring goals.
France team is actually spoiled for options regarding players. They totally can afford to compliment the strong fronters with some amazing mid fielders. Play my man Kante for crying out loud. Put in Cherki early when things got dicey. There were sooo many options.
Title should be: France EL-IMIITATED
Where was Kante throughout this tournament? Karma
I bet you some money Spain lose the next game.
Argentina has to fall one day
Fact is that france had easy path to semi final like Argentina 😂😂😂 one good team came and made french attach french fries 😂😂😂
French team has never had good management. The Manager isn’t really good or has a strategy. They just pick a name doing well with the talents and think you win tournaments that way. It can only happen once in several attempts like 2018. They are know and smart team will win France. Ask why Rabiots is brought in to face Lamine Yamal one’s, twice and a third time?
tell me if i'm right or wrong and i'm just losing it
like a secret underground world
apparently there is a whole other world out there i didn't know existed out there
i know its nit really any of my business but what the hell is going on over there
Its really shocking 😮😮😮
France the forever underachievers and the best paper teams.
France players were stunned in front of Spanish, they were looked like helpless.
Team spirit vs celebrity stars
Congratulations 🇪🇸 🎉🎉🎉
No one will say it but i said it from day this team miss pogba .. If ollise doesnt play well none of the other mid-fields can't progress the ball forward ,side ways side ways
Spain’s back four were phenomenal. Cubarsi and LaPorte were immense protecting the middle and Porro & Cucurella shut down the wing
Can't wait for Spain Vs Argentina if almighty will have it. That would be a great game. Free flowing and tactical . Not the English game of long passes
We give these ex players and pundits way too much importance. They result in today's game showed they know nothing. Didier was a great player and a very good coach. The current team is what it is because of him. Here we have people trying to malign him already. Shameless. These same pundits kept saying that Cucurella is not the strong enough. He taught French players a lesson in humility. Now I believe that it is England to bite to dust.
Nigel is so salty and can’t admit that Spain was just that good. That’s just the reality.
Football is play on the day not celebrity names
These are guys saying Mbappe is the best WC player in history. Now they know France is full of individual players, not really collective.
France and those inflated egos. Mbappe who ? Never heard of the guy.
giroud is a class act
The next team that must be beaten is Agentina
Hmmmm? hu-mil-i-te . . .or isn't it fashionable these days in France? Mbappe–does he truly believe? Then why does he not give thanks after a goal or win like so many . . .instead, he stands aloof with arms outstretched like the Christ Redentor in Brasil.
And I love how manly the Spanish team is (and Norway) – the way Alemannia use to be until they woked out like France, England, etc. Hmmmm? communism wants all to be neutered so God cannot have His way with you. Truly. the Spanish players were Space Conquerors-
being of the Spirit they had God's intuition and knew where France was going before they moved (without looking) like racecar -driver Helio Castroneves did. OMG!!! did God have something to do with that? God is the CREATOR and we puny mortals are the created . . .until we align with the GOD FEEL aka The Messi Zone and then for a brief time, WE ARE OTHER THAN OUR SELVES–unless, we contemplate His will in perfect prayer – THEN we walk in His Kingdom quite alot!!! Ya know, the eyes have it . . . Look at the Spanish players' eyes, see how much LIGHT darted from them compared to the French–they were far more perceptive. Who would have thought that one day the Spanish would be more perceptive than the French–who at one time knew things IMMEDIATELY, without looking–they could FEEL IT . . .LOL!!Could it be the lack -of-God-following-in-France? . . .Communism–atheism–Marx and Lenin NOT Hegel–founder of pure GOD-communion (Why did Marx subtract God out?) . . .Perhaps it is time for Europe to Right God's – Meta – Ship–within and find the Center and sail away to perfection like Haaland and Messi . . .
Mbappe's shooting was dreadful.