By Trust Ittai

France head coach Didier Deschamps admitted his side were comprehensively outplayed after a dominant Spain defeated Les Bleus 2-0 in Tuesday's FIFA World Cup semi-final, ending France's hopes of reaching a third consecutive final.

The pre-tournament favourites struggled to impose themselves throughout the contest as Spain controlled possession, dominated midfield and neutralised France's attacking threats with an impressive all-round display.

Speaking after the defeat, Deschamps acknowledged that his team failed to reach the standards required against a Spanish side he described as exceptional.

"Obviously, this Spain team are very strong and they proved it tonight," Deschamps said. "We were slightly below our usual level and made more technical mistakes than in previous matches. We were also a step short physically."

France's feared attacking trio of Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise found little room to operate as Spain's disciplined defensive structure cut off passing lanes and repeatedly regained possession.

Deschamps admitted France needed to produce their best performance of the tournament but fell short in every department.

"We know the quality Spain possess, and to have any chance of going through we needed to be at our absolute best. We were not," he said.

France's problems were compounded by an injury to defender William Saliba, while midfielder Adrien Rabiot was forced to curb his aggressive approach after receiving an early yellow card.

The French coach praised Spain's tactical intelligence, particularly their ability to anticipate passes and disrupt France's attacking rhythm.

"They are very good at linking their play and reading the direction of passes in order to intercept them," he explained. "We did not find the solutions. We failed to reproduce the attacking and technical quality we had shown until now, but Spain also deserves credit for preventing us from doing so."

The defeat means France misses out on a third straight World Cup final after losing the 2022 final to Argentina on penalties.

Despite the heartbreak, Deschamps urged perspective, insisting the team's overall campaign should not be overlooked.

"The disappointment is immense," he said. "This is a group of competitors, and seeing the journey end hurts. I do not want to throw away everything we have done, but in this match Spain showed they had something more."

France will now turn their attention to Saturday's third-place playoff, where they will face either England or Argentina.

Deschamps also questioned the performance of Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton, suggesting some decisions were debatable and raising concerns over whether the official was of the required standard for a World Cup semi-final.

"The fourth and the fifth official were top level," he said. "But the field referee... I won't say anything, but I'm asking you: did he have the level for a World Cup semi-final?"