Spain marched into the World Cup final for the first time since their 2010 triumph with a commanding 2-0 victory over France in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday night, ending Les Bleus’ hopes of a third consecutive appearance in the showpiece. A first-half penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal and a clinical finish by Pedro Porro shortly before the hour settled a semi-final in which Luis de la Fuente’s side controlled the tempo from the outset, neutralising a French attack that had plundered 16 goals in six matches en route to the last four.

Didier Deschamps, who is expected to step down after the tournament, did not disguise his frustration with the performance of referee Iván Barton. The Salvadoran awarded Spain a 22nd-minute penalty when Lucas Digne caught Lamine Yamal inside the area, a decision that drew prolonged French protests. In his post-match remarks, Deschamps posed a question he declined to answer himself: “Is the referee at the level required to officiate a World Cup semi-final?” He added that he was not blaming the defeat on the official, but noted there had been “quite a few situations” and that he did not wish to “sound like a crybaby” by elaborating further.

Yet the French manager was equally candid about his own team’s shortcomings. Across European and Asian media, his admission that Spain were “a notch above on the technical level” was widely reported. France, he said, had been “less dangerous” than they needed to be, committing uncharacteristic technical errors and failing to find solutions against a Spanish side that “knew exactly what they were doing.” The front three of Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise were kept unusually quiet, with Spain’s high press and disciplined defensive shape forcing repeated turnovers.

The result leaves France to contest the third-place match in Miami against the loser of the England-Argentina semi-final, while Spain await the winner of that tie in Sunday’s final. For Deschamps, the defeat likely marks the end of a decade-long tenure that brought a World Cup title in 2018 and a runners-up finish four years later. His contract expires this summer, and the French federation has long been expected to turn to Zinedine Zidane. In the immediate aftermath, however, the focus remained on a night when Spain’s control and France’s uncharacteristic bluntness combined to produce a semi-final that felt settled long before the final whistle.