France's hopes of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup final came to an end with a 2-0 defeat to Spain in Dallas, leaving Rayan Cherki visibly frustrated after the final whistle. The Manchester City forward defended teammate Lucas Digne and admitted Les Bleus only had themselves to blame for the disappointing result.

Digne endured a difficult night after conceding an early penalty by fouling Lamine Yamal inside the box. Mikel Oyarzabal converted from the spot to give Spain the lead before Pedro Porro sealed the victory in the second half. Asked about Digne's emotional state at halftime, Cherki delivered a sharp response to reporters. "What do you expect me to say? That he was crying? These things happen in football. We stayed together, and he stayed with us. We were united," he said, emphasizing the squad's support for the experienced full-back.

Cherki also admitted Spain's second goal effectively ended France's hopes of mounting a comeback, saying the match became much more difficult once they fell two goals behind.  The 22-year-old, who entered the match in the 72nd minute, showed further frustration when asked whether he wished he had played earlier. His brief reply — "What do you think?" — reflected his disappointment.

Despite the painful defeat, Cherki refused to blame the referee or external factors. Instead, he delivered a harsh assessment of France's performance.

"We lost to ourselves. We didn't lose because of the referee or because of Spain. They outplayed us technically, tactically and in the duels. It's a huge disappointment," he said.

France will now try to finish the tournament on a positive note when they face the loser of the Argentina-England semifinal in the third-place match on Saturday in Miami.

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