In the 2026 World Cup semi-finals, the French national team faced Spain at the Dallas Stadium this Tuesday. The match involved six Paris Saint-Germain players: five for France (Lucas Hernandez, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola, and Ousmane Dembélé) and one for Spain (Fabian Ruiz). Following the 0-2 defeat (France vs. Spain video highlights), here are our ratings for Les Bleus, who were completely outplayed.
Goalkeepers:
Mike Maignan (4) – He cannot be held responsible for the goals conceded, but he failed to make any saves, and his distribution was not particularly reassuring.
Defenders:
Jules Koundé (4) – Defensively solid enough, but he failed to make an impact in attack.
Dayot Upamecano (6.5) – Fortunately, he remained strong in defensive coverage and playing the ball out from the back, despite a minor slip-up in the second half.
Maxence Lacroix (5) – It was a tough situation coming on after William Saliba’s injury, but he put in a decent performance.
Lucas Digne (2) – The full-back struggled significantly in defense and lacked attacking impact. Crucially, he was at fault for the penalty that led to the opening goal. Replaced in the 71st minute by Théo Hernandez.
Midfielders:
Adrien Rabiot (5) – Good interceptions and passing, but he also struggled at times—evidenced by a deserved yellow card and a near-miss with a red card. Replaced at half-time by Manu Koné (5), who made a solid entrance without changing the course of the match.
Aurélien Tchouaméni (3) – A very difficult match for the midfielder, both in and out of possession. Michael Olise (3) – A few superb flicks, but ultimately little impact on the match—both offensively and defensively. Replaced by Rayan Cherki in the 72nd minute.
Forwards:
Bradley Barcola (3) – He didn’t offer much before coming off in the 56th minute to make way for Désiré Doué.
Ousmane Dembélé (4) – A few interesting bursts of pace, but more is expected—and much more was needed—in this match. As was the case for the entire team.
Kylian Mbappé (4) – A woefully inadequate performance, reflecting the state of the French team.
