The 2026 World Cup’s most star-studded side will be absent from Sunday’s final after Spain delivered a masterclass to knock out France.
Despite having firepower of the class of Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, and plenty more besides, they barely mustered a chance in Tuesday night’s semi-final in Dallas.
It means, for the second time in succession, a side who have given the tournament some of its most thrilling moments will end without a winners’ medal.
So where do France’s Class of 2026 rank among the most glorious losers in the history of the World Cup?
Hungary 1954
History is written by the victors. It means Hungary rarely warrant mention among the greatest of all sides as they have never won a World Cup.
And yet their 1954 vintage transformed the sport. Between 1950 and 1956, the “Mighty Magyars” played 50 matches. The Ferenc Puskas-inspired side won 42, drew seven, and lost just once.
In the course of that run, they won the Olympics, handed England their first defeat at Wembley Stadium, and obliterated West Germany 8-3 in the opening round of the 1954 World Cup.
The lone defeat was the crucial one, though. In the final of the ’54 tournament in Switzerland, the Germans reversed that opening stage defeat to take the World Cup.
The Hungarians even held a 2-0 half-time lead in the final. The fact the “Miracle of Bern”, when West Germany came back to win 3-2, was the centre of allegations of doping by the victors, only adds to Hungary’s claim on being the unluckiest of all great sides.
Netherlands 1974
Football only officially went professional in the Netherlands in the mid-1950s. Within less than two decades, they had produced the world’s most watchable side, led by a player who remains one of the sport’s most consequential figures.
And yet they still fell short of winning the game’s top prize. Somehow. In the 1974 final in Munich, the Dutch were so irresistible they scored before their opponents, West Germany, had even touched the ball.
After a sweeping move direct from kick-off, Johan Cruyff was fouled in the box by Uli Hoeness. Johan Neeskens scored from the spot, but – just as with the Hungarians 20 years earlier – the Germans bounced back to snatch the trophy.
The Dutch made the final again four years later, even thought Cruyff was not there, but lost out to Argentina.
Their legacy continues to be felt today, most obviously through many of the coaching philosophies of Pep Guardiola, who was a Cruyff protégé at Barcelona.
Brazil 1982
Many football aficionados claim July 5, 1982 was the day football died. It was then that Italy, fuelled by a hat-trick by Paolo Rossi, beat Brazil 3-2 to knock them out at the second group stage of the World Cup in Spain.
It was a Brazil side who were committed to the most enjoyable virtues of the beautiful game, with a line up including greats such as Zico, Falcao and Socrates.
Never has a side who failed to make the semi-finals of a World Cup, let alone win it, had quite such a lasting impact as those Brazilians.
It was seen as the last hurrah for free-spirited attacking football, with Brazil coaches from then on opting for pragmatism in search of the ultimate goal.
Judged by the evidence of today and the continuing decline of Brazil as a world force, there is at least a grain of truth in that.
But the 2002 side of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Kaka, et al, showed that style can still flourish alongside substance.
France 2026
Three-and-a-half-years ago, Mbappe almost single-handedly took the fight to Argentina in Qatar, when he became the second player to score a World Cup-final hat-trick.
His salvo in Lusail ended in defeat via penalties, but he went to the following World Cup intent on going one better, and had a load of mates with him helping his cause.
The France forward line at this competition has been ridiculous. It is led by Mbappe, who will surely one day leapfrog Lionel Messi as the World Cup’s leading goalscorer.
Ousmane Dembele currently has the Ballon d’Or in his possession, and has been the lead player in back-to-back Uefa Champions League wins.
There are few players quite as easy on the eye anywhere in the sport as Michael Olise. Then there are the thrilling Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola, too.
Rayan Cherki, the Manchester City playmaker who would walk into any other side, has to make do with the odd cameo here and there.
He claimed that France had beaten themselves, and were the only side capable of doing so – which might be somewhat unfair on an outstanding Spain side.
Another feature of the 2026 France has been the way a side whose core is centred in the banlieues of Paris, which are characterised by large immigrant populations, has dealt with racism.
Mbappe himself hit back at the “despicable” comments about him and his team by a Paraguayan senator after they beat their national team in the last 16.
Spain beat France – in pictures
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Pedro Porro celebrates scoring Spain's second goal in their 2-0 World Cup semi-final win over France in Dallas. AFP -
Dejected France attacker Desire Doue after the match. Reuters -
Pedro Porro scores for Spain to make it 2-0. Reuters -
Pedro Porro celebrates scoring Spain's second goal. Reuters -
Spain's Pedro Porro finishes past France goalkeeper Mike Magnon to make it 2-0. EPA -
Spain's Mikel Oyarzabal fires past France goalkeeper Mike Maignon to make 1-0 form the penalty spot. Reuters -
Spain's Mikel Oyarzabal celebrates scoring from the spot. AFP -
France defender William Saliba sits on the ground after picking up a first-half injury that saw him limp off. Reuters -
Mikel Oyarzabal scores from the penalty spot to put Spain in front. Reuters -
France defender Lucas Digne fouls Sppain's Lamine Yamal to give away a penalty. AFP
