Kylian Mbappe bowed his head, staring at the grass for at least a minute, sweat pouring off him. Several teammates did not want to leave the field, and there was no one to console them; the whole team was shattered. That was the scene at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas. Everyone knows the result — Spain snatched away France’s World Cup dream. The talk everywhere had been of who could stop this irresistible France side; Spain stopped them, in a dramatic result. Commentators said the ball had found France’s net, and given the way the goals came, it was easy to feel so.
The first half was played in midfield, with no real action apart from the penalty. France’s fear was Lamine Yamal — and it was Yamal who shattered their dream. Defender Lucas Digne did not even realise when Yamal had slipped into the box; trying to control the ball, he made contact with him, and the inevitable followed: a clear penalty. Mikel Oyarzabal took the flawless spot kick, taking his tally at this World Cup to 5, and control of the match passed to Spain.
It looked as if Spain were teaching France the first lessons of football, rather than playing a game between semifinalists. France’s former captain Patrick Vieira told ITV that the whole team had lacked confidence. “I don’t know whether they were overly afraid of this Spanish team,” he said. “They lacked the personality and character to take control of the match.” Mbappe kept searching for the ball; at one point he seemed not to be playing as a central striker, roaming left and right, trying to get involved — but every effort failed.
Spain’s football was truly extraordinary; the way they moved the ball left France utterly helpless. France’s attack, so bright all tournament, offered nothing, with Olise and Dembele especially disappointing. The famous French daily L’Equipe said France had been completely cornered in every department and that losing to Spain was entirely logical. After Euro 2024, Spain once again reasserted their dominance over France — and on France’s Bastille Day, the defeat cast a pall over everything, denying them a place in the final.
Eight minutes after the penalty, another nightmare struck France: reliable defender William Saliba was forced off with back pain, and France seemed to lose their rhythm. In the closing stages Spain sealed their final place, with all the praise for the goal going to Pedro Porro. Spain’s team build-up was superb, and Cucurella deserves a mention. France tried a few times to find the Spanish net, but everything was scattered and out of control; just as Mbappe could not be found, the whole team looked fragile. The match ended amid the roar of Spanish fans in the stands and chants of “Ole, ole,” while in the French camp there were tears.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report