World Cup: Deschamps raises question over referee’s qualification after France’s defeat to Spain

France head coach, Didier Deschamps, has publicly criticized the referee’s performance following his team’s 2-0 defeat to Spain in the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday, July 14.

The game between the two European powerhouses turned out to be one-sided, as Spain dominated and secured a decisive 2-0 victory.

Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring for Luis de la Fuente’s squad with a penalty in the 22nd minute, and Pedro Porro added a second goal shortly after the halftime break, ensuring their place in the 2026 final.

France received an early yellow card when Adrien Rabiot was cautioned by the referee, Ivan Burton for a foul in the ninth minute. 

Les Bleus conceded a penalty due to Lucas Digne’s reckless challenge on Lamine Yamal in the 21st minute.

In his post-match comments, Didier Deschamps did not hold back in his criticism of the referee, questioning the quality of officiating. 

According to quotes shared by Fabrizio Romano on X, Deschamps said, “I will ask a question… does the referee have the necessary level to officiate a World Cup semi-final?”

For the first time in this tournament, France failed to register a shot on target during the first half against Spain.

They were unable to create significant scoring opportunities throughout the match, finishing with a disappointing expected goals (xG) tally of 0.31, as reported by Flashscore.

Furthermore, Fabrizio Romano has indicated that Deschamps plans to step down from his role as national team coach after the tournament, with Zinedine Zidane anticipated to succeed him.

World Cup: Deschamps raises question over referee’s qualification after France’s defeat to Spain