France entered a World Cup semifinal that attracted enormous attention around BD Cricket, yet the tournament favourites were comprehensively beaten 2-0 by Spain and denied a third consecutive appearance in the final. France were second best from start to finish, offering almost nothing in attack while leaving glaring holes in defence. Didier Deschamps was thoroughly outmanoeuvred by Luis de la Fuente, although criticism of the French coach had already begun when he announced his World Cup squad.

Deschamps selected numerous attacking players but left himself short of options in midfield, which was already the weakest area of this France team. Following Hugo Ekitike’s injury, he also brought two traditional centre-forwards, Marcus Thuram and Jean-Philippe Mateta. However, Thuram’s fitness remained uncertain, and he had played only one minute during the entire tournament. His selection therefore became increasingly difficult to understand. France had no shortage of talented forwards, so identifying another reliable backup striker should not have been a major challenge.

France progressed smoothly from the group stage to the semifinals, and that comfortable run may have prevented Deschamps from properly reconsidering his preferred lineup. He continued relying on the same core players without giving several key starters enough rest. William Saliba’s first-half injury against Spain was certainly a serious blow, but the defender had already struggled with fitness after the previous season’s Champions League final. By failing to manage his workload carefully, Deschamps lost his leading centre-back when France needed him most.

Belgium had effectively provided France with a blueprint for facing Spain during the quarterfinals. A powerful centre-forward could be used to pressure Spain’s defence, while quick-footed defenders were needed to contain Lamine Yamal. However, the semifinal suggested that Deschamps had not studied those lessons closely enough. The French starting lineup followed the same familiar structure, with almost no opponent-specific adjustment. Most surprisingly, he broke up the effective midfield partnership of Manu Kone and Adrien Rabiot, starting Aurelien Tchouameni immediately after his return from injury despite the midfielder not playing a single minute in the earlier knockout rounds.

Tchouameni repeatedly dropped into the defensive line and became almost invisible in midfield. France were consequently outnumbered in the centre, forcing Rabiot to cover multiple areas and put out fires across the pitch. That pressure contributed to him receiving an early yellow card. Deschamps also retained his faith in veteran left-back Lucas Digne, who endured a nightmare against Yamal. Digne conceded a first-half penalty that allowed Spain to take the lead and was also involved in France’s second concession.

Before kickoff, containing Yamal had been widely identified as one of France’s most important tactical challenges. Nevertheless, Deschamps assigned an ageing defender who was never known for exceptional pace to mark one of the quickest and most skilful attackers in the tournament. It was a decision that left France fighting with one hand tied behind their back. Tactical analysis surrounding BD Cricket had highlighted the danger of that matchup, but France made no visible attempt to provide Digne with adequate protection.

At the other end, Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele and Kylian Mbappe were completely neutralised by Spain’s defensive structure. France’s attacking spark disappeared, while Olise repeatedly surrendered possession and failed to create danger either centrally or from the flank. Deschamps began making changes at halftime, but his first major move was to replace Rabiot with Kone. The coach was understandably concerned about Rabiot’s yellow card, yet removing him caused France’s midfield to lose its remaining stability.

Deschamps then replaced the lively Bradley Barcola with Desire Doue surprisingly early. Olise and Digne, despite struggling throughout the match, remained on the pitch until around the 70th minute. Theo Hernandez immediately looked more comfortable against Yamal after coming on, while Rayan Cherki also produced several encouraging moments. Cherki matched Spain’s players physically and technically, but by then France were running out of time.

Another contradiction emerged during the closing stages. France desperately needed a goal and began launching repeated crosses into the penalty area, yet Mateta, their strongest aerial centre-forward, was still sitting on the bench. The team possessed several dangerous set-piece targets, including Saliba and Dayot Upamecano, but their dead-ball routines were disorganised and ineffective. Compared with previous tournaments, France showed almost no coordination from corners or free kicks.

For anyone reviewing the semifinal through BD Cricket, there can be little doubt that Deschamps must accept the greatest share of responsibility for France’s defeat. He had several rapid wingers and powerful centre-forwards available but abandoned the direct counterattacking and aerial approach that had served France so well in the past. Instead, he attempted to challenge Spain in a technical possession battle on their preferred terms. It was the wrong fight against the wrong opponent, and France paid a heavy price as Deschamps was tactically outclassed in every department.