Midfielder Rayan Cherki maintains France are a better team than Spain and felt Les Bleus beat themselves in last night’s World Cup semi-final.
Spain dominated from start to finish in Dallas, winning 2-0 thanks to a Mikel Oyarzabal penalty and a second-half strike from Pedro Porro, to ease into the final where they will play either England or Argentina.
It was a sobering night for the French, who were unable to replicate the performance level they produced earlier in the tournament as Didier Deschamps’ reign as boss ended with a whimper.
And Cherki, who came on as a second half substitute in place of the ineffective Michael Olise, was frustrated with France’s display.
He said: “They were better than us in all aspects of the game and I think they wanted it more. It’s a shame, because I’m convinced that we’re still a better team than them, but today Spain was superior. Even on a bad day, we have to improve a little: tactically, technically, in everything.
“It’s incredibly disappointing. We had everything we needed to get to the end. To be honest, all the teams feared us. And the only team that beat us was ourselves. We beat ourselves. We didn’t play like we know how to play. The Spaniards played as they like, and we didn’t. We’re paying the consequences.”
Maybe it was too easy – France star Cherki
Asked to explain why France reserved their worst performance of the tournament when it really mattered, the Manchester City man said: “Maybe when everything is too easy, we think we are above everything. But I don’t think that was the case. It’s a World Cup semi-final… We lacked a lot in many ways.”
France, and Deschamps in particular, were unhappy with the performance of referee Ivan Barton from El Salvador but Cherki said that was not a factor.
“You can say what you want but they were simply more aggressive and smarter than us,” he added. “The referee was not up to par, but that doesn’t change anything. You can’t blame the referee: he didn’t deprive us of a goal.”
France captain Mbappe will reset and go again
France captain Kylian Mbappe failed to make much of an impact and was booked late on for a needless challenge on Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon.
The Real Madrid star said: “We didn’t play the game we wanted to play, tactically or technically. And when you don’t do what you’re supposed to do in a World Cup semi-final, you don’t win.
“Spain respected its plan and what they are faithful to. They are a team that likes to control the ball and the tempo. Our goal was to come and press them high so as not to let them find their rhythm. Because in game control, they are better than us. We didn’t manage to do that, and there were too many technical errors.”
It was the first time Mbappe had failed to reach the final after appearances in 2018 and 2022.
He added: “Like everyone else, I have a lot of disappointment. It was a dream for us to go to the final, to give this opportunity to our country to continue dreaming and making history. Now, it’s something you have to face with your head held high.
“I don’t think I can put into words how disappointed the group and I are. But like any high-level player, even if it seems a little robotic, you have to keep your head up, go on holiday and then start again. Because football is not waiting for anyone, we will have to learn and start again to put this failure to one side.”
