Didier Deschamps' France were hot favourites to lift the famous golden trophy after a string of breathtaking attacking displays at the World Cup. But they met their match in the semi-finals when faced with slick European champions Spain, who outplayed and outsmarted Les Bleus to deny them a third consecutive final.
For all the hype surrounding France, they folded at the first serious examination of their World Cup credentials, their campaign ending in a spectacular collapse in Tuesday’s 2-0 semi-final defeat by Spain.
