[Reuters]
[Reuters]

France failed to reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, falling short against Spain's "Invincible Armada," as BBC delivered a scathing assessment of captain Kylian Mbappé.

Spain defeated France 2-0 in the tournament semifinal at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas, on Wednesday (Korean Standard Time), securing their place in the final.

Having eliminated France — widely regarded as one of the top title contenders — Spain now stand one win away from their first World Cup title since their triumph at the 2010 South Africa tournament, 16 years ago.

France had scored 16 goals across their previous six matches in the competition, but failed to register a single shot on target throughout the first half and were shut out entirely.

After the match, BBC said Spain "used their organization to make France's superstars look utterly ordinary." The broadcaster added that Spain "were tactically prepared to beat France in every way, and as a result claimed a dominant victory — France were completely helpless."

Mbappé, hailed as the tournament's finest attacker heading into the match, was repeatedly stifled by Spain's disciplined defensive structure and struggled to get on the ball. Late in the second half, he approached the opposing goalkeeper and received a yellow card for his agitated reaction.

BBC pundit Chris Sutton said Mbappé was "out of his mind" and appeared to have "lost all reason." BBC said the moment Mbappé lost his composure was "the moment French fans effectively confirmed their defeat."

Patrick Vieira, a French football legend and fellow BBC panelist, said the problem went beyond one or two individuals. "It wasn't just one or two players underperforming — the entire French team was neutralized by Spain's tactics and failed to fulfill their roles," he said. "It was a deeply disappointing performance for a side expected to contend for the title."


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