France legend Thierry Henry explains why Spain deserved the win: ‘We couldn’t take the ball off them’

France came into the 2026 World Cup semifinal as the clear favorites to reach the final. However, Spain managed to surprise them, limiting their attacking threat and cruising to a comfortable victory. As a result, the criticism has not taken long to arrive, as they looked very flat collectively and their powerful attack was nowhere to be seen. In response, French legend Thierry Henry analyzed the main reason behind their semifinal defeat.

“When Spain national team takes the ball, they do give you the ball back. You have to go and get it. You need to press a bit better. We couldn’t take the ball off them. The second shot on target was Dembele only… I want to give credit to the whole system and what they put in place because Spain never used to win like that and now they win at every level… So well done Spain, sorry for my country,” says Thierry Henry, via Fox Sports.

Although statistically the possession was fairly even, the reality is that Spain were the team that dictated the tempo of the game. They controlled possession throughout the match, creating space and limiting France’s attack. After scoring the two goals, they dropped their pressing line, allowing Didier Deschamps’ team to have the ball but without effectiveness.

Thierry Henry highlighted the quality of Spain’s tactical system, as they clearly know how to dominate possession, but also how to sit back and stop their opponents’ progression. Led by Pau Cubarsí and Aymeric Laporte, they were rock-solid in defense, with Pedro Porro and Marc Cucurella also excelling in that aspect. In addition, Rodri and Fabián Ruiz kept Mbappé’s team under control, limiting the spaces they needed to shine.

France shone individually, but failed as a team at the 2026 World Cup

Throughout the 2026 World Cup, France established as one of the tournament’s highest-scoring teams. Led by Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé, they shone in the goalscoring department. However, they never became a solid team collectively, relying heavily on individual actions. This was precisely what prevented them from reaching the tournament final for the third consecutive time.

Didier Deschamps trusted Adrien Rabiot and Aurélien Tchouaméni completely in midfield. While they were solid defensively, they contributed very little in the creative aspect. Unable to impose a collective style of play, France depended on their wingers to drive the team forward. In addition, Ousmane Dembélé did not have his best collective performance, looking short of ideas, and the head coach decided not to make changes to improve that area.

Looking ahead to UEFA Euro 2028, France have one task: To go from being a team full of stars to becoming a team that shines collectively. They would need to strengthen their midfield with players who are more creative, better organizers, and more effective in possession. By learning from Spain’s collective style of play, they could begin a new sporting project, as Didier Deschamps appears to be close to leaving the national team.