France 0-2 Spain
Didier Deschamps will bow out as France manager in defeat, emphatically denied a third successive World Cup final by Spain. It is the European champions who will face England or Argentina in New Jersey on Sunday after one of the most extraordinary no-shows.
France, almost universally accepted as the favourites, went missing when it mattered, falling behind for the first time at this tournament inside 22 minutes and never recovering.
Just as they did 16 years ago, Spain will have the chance to hold both major international titles simultaneously. Luis de la Fuente’s plan worked perfectly, the full-backs playing a starring role on the road to the final. For the best defence of the summer, it was another clean sheet.
Yet the greater surprise is that France crashed out with such meekness that it became hard to remember why they were thought indomitable just days ago. Having brushed aside the likes of Norway, Morocco and Sweden, Kylian Mbappe had no service, drifting left and right in search of the ball.
