Rayan Cherki: Spain played their game, France did not
Following France's World Cup 2026 semi-final exit against Spain, forward Rayan Cherki acknowledged the opponent's tactical superiority.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Author: Bryan Berlin
France's 2026 World Cup campaign ended in the semi-finals following a 0-2 defeat to Spain. After the final whistle, Les Bleus forward Rayan Cherki reflected on the performance, suggesting his team failed to execute their plan while Spain dominated the flow of the game.
I don't know if we lacked solutions or desire. Today they won the ball back easier than us. If we had won more balls, we would have caused them more pain. They played the football they like. We, on the contrary, did not play the football we like. Rayan Cherki
Cherki noted that the Spanish side displayed better positioning and tactical awareness on the pitch. While he maintained that the French squad is highly talented, he admitted that the opponents simply had a greater urgency and execution on the day.
The forward also questioned whether the relatively easy run to the semi-finals created a sense of complacency. Now, the France squad must shift their focus to the third-place play-off, dealing with the emotional weight of missing out on the final.