One of France’s greatest soccer players of all time will not get the opportunity to bring another World Cup title home this year.

Les Bleus lost to Spain in the semifinal on Tuesday, July 14, eliminating them from title contention and denying them a third straight final appearance. Spain proved it was much better than its opponent, and the dominant victory was largely achieved by shutting down France’s biggest star, Kylian Mbappé.

He was held scoreless for just the second time in seven matches in this tournament, and his three shots were the fewest he has taken in any match of the 2026 World Cup. He also had zero shots on the goal, the first time that’s happened to him in the tournament since the 2022 World Cup semifinal.

A disappointing outing for Mbappé and France, given how supreme the French looked all tournament, seemingly poised to win their second title in three tournaments. It’s not the finish they envisioned, but it hardly tarnishes the reputation of Mbappé at the World Cup, and he still has one more match in 2026 to make even more history.

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