Midfielder Rayan Cherki maintains France are a better team than Spain and felt Les Bleus beat themselves in last nights World Cup semi-final. Spain dominated from start to finish in Dallas, winning 2-0 thanks to a Mikel Oyarzabal penalty and a second-half strike from Pedro Porro, to ease into the final where they will play either England or Argentina.It was a sobering night for the French, who were unable to replicate the performance level they produced earlier in the tournament as Didier Deschamps reign as boss ended with a whimper.And Cherki, who came on as a second half substitute in place of the ineffective Michael Olise, was frustrated with Frances display.He said: They were better than us in all aspects of the game and I think they wanted it more. Its a shame, because Im convinced that were still a better team than them, but today Spain was superior. Even on a bad day, we have to improve a little: tactically, technically, in everything.Its incredibly disappointing. We had everything we needed to get to the end. To be honest, all the teams feared us. And the only team that beat us was ourselves. We beat ourselves. We didnt play like we know how to play. The Spaniards played as they like, and we didnt. Were paying the consequences.Table of ContentsMaybe it was too easy France star CherkiFrance captain Mbappe will reset and go againMaybe it was too easy France star CherkiAsked to explain why France reserved their worst performance of the tournament when it really mattered, the Manchester City man said: Maybe when everything is too easy, we think we are above everything. But I dont think that was the case. Its a World Cup semi-final We lacked a lot in many ways.France, and Deschamps in particular, were unhappy with the performance of referee Ivan Barton from El Salvador but Cherki said that was not a factor.You can say what you want but they were simply more aggressive and smarter than us, he added. The referee was not up to par, but that doesnt change anything. You cant blame the referee: he didnt deprive us of a goal.France captain Mbappe will reset and go againFrance captain Kylian Mbappe failed to make much of an impact and was booked late on for a needless challenge on Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon.The Real Madrid star said: We didnt play the game we wanted to play, tactically or technically. And when you dont do what youre supposed to do in a World Cup semi-final, you dont win.Spain respected its plan and what they are faithful to. They are a team that likes to control the ball and the tempo. Our goal was to come and press them high so as not to let them find their rhythm. Because in game control, they are better than us. We didnt manage to do that, and there were too many technical errors.It was the first time Mbappe had failed to reach the final after appearances in 2018 and 2022.He added: Like everyone else, I have a lot of disappointment. It was a dream for us to go to the final, to give this opportunity to our country to continue dreaming and making history. Now, its something you have to face with your head held high.I dont think I can put into words how disappointed the group and I are. But like any high-level player, even if it seems a little robotic, you have to keep your head up, go on holiday and then start again. Because football is not waiting for anyone, we will have to learn and start again to put this failure to one side. Topics France National Football Team Spain National Football Team Add us as a preferred source on Google If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read De la Fuente hails best team in the world after Spain reach World Cup final Mitch Fretton 14th July, 2026 France 0-2 Spain: Report, result and goals as La Roja book spot in World Cup final Mitch Fretton 14th July, 2026 WATCH: Spain take lead against France after Yamal wins penalty in first half Mitch Fretton 14th July, 2026 World Cup 2026 live: France vs Spain confirmed teams and full line ups as Barcola, Tchouameni start with England or Argentina awaiting winners, TV channel, online stream and stats Ben Miller 14th July, 2026 LIVE France v Spain: Commentary, updates, goals and stats for World Cup semi-final clash Jon Fisher 14th July, 2026 FIFA World Cup 2026: Full France fixtures, results, schedule, confirmed squad, next match, kick off times Ben Miller 14th July, 2026
