French Press Slam PSG Duo as Fabian Ruiz Earns 10/10 in Spain's Semifinal Win
· Yahoo Sports
The French national team was outclassed and beaten 2-0 by Spain on Tuesday night in the 2026 World Cup semifinal. Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola were starters and had poor matches while Fabian Ruiz, once again preferred over Pedri, shone on the Spanish side. Discover the ratings of the PSG players in Wednesday's press after this France-Spain match.
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Les Bleus came crashing down on Tuesday night, logically beaten and eliminated by a well-oiled Spain side that did not even seem to force its talent to win 2-0. Yet another confirmation that soccer is a team sport. Two Parisians were starters on the French side and had poor matches: Dembele and Barcola, ultimately preferred over Desire Doue, which was not necessarily anticipated before the match.
"First on the right, then moved centrally after half an hour, nothing worked: the Ballon d'Or did almost everything wrong," L'Equipe wrote in its ratings after giving Dembele a 2/10. "As the minutes went by, he gradually faded until becoming almost invisible. A huge disappointment."
Le Parisien (3/10) agreed: "The Ballon d'Or only attempted one shot late in the game, constantly tracked by an opponent, whether on the right or centrally, a position he often occupied to compensate for Olise's struggles. Aside from one early pass for Mbappe (16th minute) and another for Barcola (36th), the Parisians' output was far too insufficient to influence the match."
Preferred over Doue on the left to exploit the space behind Pedro Porro, Barcola received a middling 4/10 from L'Equipe: "We imagined the spaces would allow him to use his speed. But the Spanish ultimately left very little, considerably limiting his influence. He stood out mainly for his defensive efforts. Replaced by Doue (57th minute)."
Le Parisien gave the winger a 3/10 with a fairly similar comment: "A starter for the fourth time in the tournament, the player expected to bring depth to Les Bleus' game with his speed did not meet expectations. Despite a few runs (6th, 36th, 42nd) and defensive efforts worth noting, he never really managed to make his mark. Replaced by Doue (57th), guilty of not tracking Porro on Spain's second goal (0-2, 59th)."
Future backup to Nuno Mendes at PSG, Lucas Digne also had a very difficult evening, guilty of the foul on Lamine Yamal that led to the penalty and Spain's first goal. "Between his mistimed header and his foul on Yamal, he made two errors that resulted in a penalty (20th). He seemed to have recovered before halftime, but his second half was marked by repeated giveaways and his substitution by T. Hernandez (72nd)," L'Equipe judged, giving him a 2/10.
If the Parisians on the French national team had a nightmare evening, Ruiz shone in Spain's midfield after once again being preferred over Pedri, as against Belgium. In France, L'Equipe appreciated his performance, rewarding him with a solid 7/10: "What a good match, what relevance in his choices and what ease in ball retention under French pressure," the sports daily assessed. "He knew how to secure his team defensively and lead them forward when the game opened up in front of him. Alongside Rodri, they ate the French midfield for breakfast through positioning, passing, and technical mastery. Replaced by Pedri (78th), over whom he is therefore ahead."
In Spain, the press was also effusive about the Andalusian midfielder, "invaluable" in the eyes of Mundo Deportivo: "He was again preferred over Pedri and justified De la Fuente's decision with his physical commitment in midfield. He won balls, provided help, created chances, and only lacked a bit more finesse in attack."
Madrid-based outlet Marca gave Ruiz a 10/10 for his match against France, highlighting his defensive contribution and game reading. "De la Fuente trusted him again, and he was perfectly in the game from the start," AS also assessed. "He delivered a true display of ball protection -- proving valuable for the national team in the buildup -- while frequently recovering the ball and answering the call in physical duels. He also showed perfect game reading, knowing when to push forward and break lines, and when to slow the tempo and circulate the ball. A superb performance."
If France does not lift the third World Cup, they will play in the third-place match on Saturday in Miami against England. This could allow Lucas Hernandez and Warren Zaïre-Emery to gain some playing time. Ruiz will play Sunday in the grand final in New York and should once again start.