The inside story of France's World Cup: Why did the favourites fall short?

France’s World Cup story centers on “oxygenation” after the 2022 final defeat, when Didier Deschamps and assistant Guy Stephan sought to refresh a squad that won in Russia in 2018 but fell short against Argentina four years later. France exited the tournament in North America after losing to Spain in the decisive Dallas match, with L’Equipe reporting near silence in the dressing room apart from a brief speech urging the team to contextualize the loss. Deschamps’ 14-year tenure ends with an unexpected failure despite a record-setting run: France were joint-top scorers, took maximum points versus Senegal, Iraq and Norway, and reached the semifinals without conceding a knockout goal. Kylian Mbappe finished with eight goals. The Spanish coaching staff’s midfield of Fabian Ruiz, Rodri and Dani Olmo outplayed France’s structure, exposing gaps between lines, while talk turns to potential successor Zinedine Zidane.