France 0-2 Spain: Cherri admits self destruction as World Cup dream turns into a nightmare

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France’s quest for a third World Cup star ended in bitter disappointment at the MetLife Stadium on Monday night, as Spain secured a clinical 2-0 victory to book their place in the final. Yet for Rayan Cherki, the pain was not born of Spanish brilliance—but of French self-sabotage.

Speaking to beIN SPORTS 1 in the immediate aftermath, a visibly shattered Cherki refused to make excuses, despite a fractious encounter that saw the referee come under heavy scrutiny.

“Every team was afraid of us before this tournament, and honestly, we felt that,” the 22-year-old forward said, his eyes fixed on the floor. “But the team that beat us tonight was ourselves. Yes, the referee was not at his best, but he didn’t take away a goal from us. If we had been better, we would have won.”

The scoreline—2-0 to Spain—was a harsh reflection of a match that France, on balance, dominated for long spells. Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé repeatedly tore down the flanks, but Spain’s high defensive line, marshalled by Aymeric Laporte, held firm. Unai Simón was called into action twice in the first half, denying Mbappé from close range and tipping a Cherki curler onto the crossbar.

Spain, however, were ruthlessly efficient. The opening goal came in the 34th minute from the penalty spot, after a controversial VAR check adjudged Jules Koundé to have handled the ball inside the area. Replays showed the ball deflected off Koundé’s chest before flicking his arm—a decision that enraged the French bench. Rodri calmly converted, sending Simón the wrong way.

The second goal, eight minutes into the second half, was a counter-attacking masterpiece. Pedri picked out Lamine Yamal on the right, and the 18-year-old cut inside William Saliba before lashing a low, angled drive into the far corner. It was Yamal’s sixth goal of the tournament—and it effectively killed the tie.

France threw everything forward in the final 20 minutes. Mbappé had a goal ruled out for a fractional offside, and Cherki himself forced a stunning late save from Simón. But the equaliser never came.

Cherki’s post-match analysis cut deeper than any tactical critique. When asked about the referee’s performance—which included three yellow cards to French players and a non-call on a blatant shirt pull in the box—he shook his head.

“Do I think the referee made mistakes? Yes. But that is football. He did not rule out a legitimate French goal tonight. We had 16 shots—we scored zero. The referee did not miss those chances. We did.”

His words echoed through the mixed zone, where several French players walked past in silence. Didier Deschamps, who has led this squad for over a decade, later admitted his side simply “did not meet the moment.”

“We have beaten every major team in the world in the last two years,” Cherki concluded, pulling his blue jersey over his face before walking away. “But when it mattered most, we forgot how to finish. That is a nightmare we have to wake up from tomorrow.”

For Spain, the victory marks a stunning double—beating Brazil in the quarter-finals and France in the semis—and they now await the winner of Wednesday’s clash between Argentina and England. But for Les Bleus, a golden generation has once again stumbled at the penultimate hurdle. And as Cherki admitted, the only opponent they truly failed to conquer was themselves.

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Match summary:

· Spain 2-0 France (Rodri 34’ pen; Yamal 53’)
· Man of the match: Lamine Yamal (goal, 5 dribbles, 2 key passes)
· Next: Spain advance to Sunday’s final vs. Argentina/England; France head home.