France’s World Cup journey ended abruptly on Tuesday as Spain dismantled Didier Deschamps’s side 2-0 in the semi-finals. The France squad, unbeaten in six matches prior to the tournament, failed to impose themselves against a technically superior Spain, marking a third successive elimination by La Roja at major tournaments.

Deschamps, visibly disappointed, admitted his team’s shortcomings: “We were technically outclassed. It’s our fault.” Yet he also raised eyebrows by questioning the referee’s competence: “I’ll ask a question: does the referee have the level to officiate a semi-final? I won’t answer that. There were several key moments…”

His remarks grew sharper in a later interview: “If I say something now, they’ll call me a sore loser because we lost. But I ask: does the referee have the level for a semi-final? There was the penalty, but there were other issues too. I’m not criticising tonight’s referee personally, but consider the question.”

“Excuses are easy when results slip away”

Spain’s coach Luis de la Fuente was quick to respond. “When you lose, it’s tempting to look for excuses… We’ve faced tough refereeing moments too, like against Uruguay. Referees often prioritise letting the game flow.”

He continued: “If Deschamps said what he did… both teams faced the same refereeing. I don’t believe the referee favoured one side. We had a goal disallowed for offside, but I’m not dwelling on the officials. Everyone needs to improve—referees, VAR, players—so football can get better every day.”

Rodri, Spain’s captain, also weighed in: “This is the third game where we’ve dealt with uncalled fouls—10 or 15 missed calls. If referees don’t penalise them, defenders keep playing that way. Today was especially noticeable. Still, the referee had a strong match.”

As France licks its wounds ahead of Saturday’s third-place playoff—Deschamps’ final match in charge—Spain eyes a second World Cup title (last won in 2010) against either Argentina or England in the final.