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France’s star-studded line-up failed to deliver against Spain as they suffered a 2-0 defeat in the World Cup semi-final held in Dallas.

The two-time world champions were comprehensively beaten, with Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise and others struggling to make an impact as Spain cruised into the final.

Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring midway through the first half with a penalty after Lucas Digne’s careless foul on Lamine Yamal inside the box.

Spain doubled their advantage just before the hour mark through Pedro Porro, sealing the win and prompting a visibly frustrated Patrick Vieira to express his disappointment at France’s failure to reach the final.

The match marked the first time Didier Deschamps’ side had fallen behind in this year’s tournament, ending a six-match unbeaten run on their way to the last four.

France managed their first shot on target only in the 81st minute at Dallas Stadium and were consistently outplayed by the European champions.

Former France midfielder Patrick Vieira, who was part of the 1998 World Cup-winning team alongside Deschamps, did not hold back in his criticism of the team’s performance in Arlington.

Speaking on ITV, Vieira said: “There was a huge expectation for France to win the World Cup. We are all really disappointed by the result, but even more so by the performance because our top players needed to step up today and they didn’t.”

He added: “It wasn’t just one or two players missing; the entire team underperformed. Collectively, we were really bad.”

France’s problems deepened before half-time when Arsenal defender William Saliba was forced off with an apparent back injury. He was replaced by Crystal Palace’s Maxence Lacroix as Deschamps’ men tried unsuccessfully to overturn the deficit and book a place in Sunday’s final.

At half-time, Vieira further commented: “The French team didn’t turn up in the first half. It’s a huge disappointment considering the quality they’ve shown throughout the tournament. They need to play with more intensity and put the Spanish side under greater pressure.”

Meanwhile, former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville was full of praise for Spain, who reached their second consecutive major final after lifting the European Championship in Germany two years ago.

Neville singled out Pedro Porro and Marc Cucurella for their standout performances. Speaking on ITV, he said: “An absolutely incredible performance from Spain.”

He continued: “I always focus on full-backs, and the biggest difference between the two teams can be seen there. Porro and Cucurella were outstanding against France’s wide players, while Lucas Digne struggled to contain Lamine Yamal. We discussed before the match whether Yamal could deliver on the big stage, and today he really did.”

Neville concluded: “We’re all a bit shocked because most of us expected France to win, but they were completely outplayed.”