ARLINGTON, Texas — France arrived with high hopes and a fearsome attack, but they left AT&T Stadium empty-handed after a 2–0 semifinal defeat to Spain that ended their World Cup dreams.

Didier Deschamps, in what was likely his final match on soccer's biggest stage as coach, watched his side struggle to create chances against Spain's rock-solid defense. The 57-year-old won the World Cup as a player in 1998 and as a coach in 2018, and led France to the 2022 final, but this time Les Bleus had no answers.

"I've been lucky as a player to enjoy happy moments," Deschamps said through a translator. "Today is not such a moment. But we must accept it without forgetting everything we've experienced. Today's feeling is that I am not happy."

The disappointment wasn't confined to the stadium. Clashes reportedly broke out in Paris and Lyon, with French media lamenting the team's inability to replicate the thrilling performances that had carried them to the semifinals unbeaten.

L'Équipe, France's leading sports newspaper, noted that Deschamps' players had been outplayed in every aspect, "unable to live up to their dreams and to the hope they had inspired."

Captain Kylian Mbappé, who entered the match tied with Lionel Messi for the tournament lead with eight goals, was largely neutralized. His best chance came in the 67th minute, but his shot deflected off Marc Cucurella and went just wide. He later picked up a yellow card in the 86th minute after colliding with Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón.

Despite the defeat, Mbappé defended his coach and vowed to give everything in the third-place match.

"Nothing changed about what Didier means to us," Mbappé said. "As a manager, as a player, he wrote an amazing story. There's one game left for him, so we're going to try to play the best game for him because he deserves it."

Rayan Cherki summed up the mood: "In so many ways, France was missing everything today. We'll be back in four years, and we won't make the same mistakes."