With Euro 2024 set to go out and end on a high when an improving England battles a dominant Spain, both sides will likely head home happy, having achieved more than enough to satisfy their support.

England reached their second consecutive Euros final after a dramatic 90th Ollie Watkins winner over the Netherlands, while Spain have been something of an unstoppable force throughout the tournament, being the only team to have a 100% win record, an impressive feat after six games.

However, there will be other nations watching on from home that will be far from satisfied. Germany, Portugal, and Belgium all fell short of pre-tournament expectations. But despite going further in the tournament than any of those three, it will likely be France for whom disappointment lasts longest.

The most underwhelming team to watch at the tournament (yes, even more than England in the group stage), we’re going to take a look at what went wrong for Didier Deschamps’ star studded team.

🚨🇫🇷 Kylian Mbappé: “In football you’re good or not good. I wasn’t good”.

“My Euro was a failure”.

“I wanted to be European champion… I will now go on holiday, I will rest well, it will do me a lot of good, then I will get ready to start a new life. There's a lot to do”. pic.twitter.com/9QW45qMPtI

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 9, 2024

Pre-Tournament Favorites

Prior to Euro 2024 kicking off, France were considered amongst bookies the most likely winners of the upcoming competition, with England sat just behind them as second favorites. They may have been woeful at the tournament itself, but there was certainly evidence at the time that they had a squad that could fiercely and successfully compete in the latter stages.

Consider their tournament history prior to 2024: World Cup Runner-up 2022 Euro Round of 16 2020 World Cup Winners 2018 Euro Finalists 2016

Finalists at three of the last four major tournaments, France had looked back to their dominant best in recent times after a lull between the 2006 and 2014 World Cups, and since 2016, they have been able to put together some of the most talented squads of any country in the world. Here are just some of the names that have represented France at major tournaments since 2016: Paul Pogba Karim Benzema, Raphael Varane, N’golo Kante, Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud, and of course, Kylian Mbappe.

Their squad at the Euros this summer was arguably the strongest of this eight year period so far, with world class players in every position. But something just didn’t quite click for them. They seemed to have a similar issue to Chelsea in the early days of last season: they looked like a team of individuals, not a cohesive, effective unit.

However, it's an infamous cliche among football fans that the best teams find ways to win when they’re playing badly, and France embodied that for their entire Euro campaign.

Their group stage games were amongst the least exciting spectacles of the tournament: an own goal granted them a 1-0 win over Austria, they played out a lukewarm affair which they should have lost against the Netherlands which ended 0-0 (in which Griezmann missed two sitters), and despite seeming to click into gear against an already eliminated Poland squad, they could only muster a 1-1 draw thanks to an Mbappe penalty.

Big chances:

2 — Antoine Griezmann
1 — Netherlands

He missed both. pic.twitter.com/KVAlHkxZUV

— StatMuse FC (@statmusefc) June 21, 2024

Unable to top their group, France finished second, placing them on an exceptionally tricky side of the draw along with the likes of Spain, Belgium, Portugal and Germany. However, many were of the opinion that being drawn against the best teams in the tournament would bring out the best in Les Bleus, that it would provide them a platform to come out of their shell and play their best football. Sadly, this never ended up materializing.

Stroke(s) of luck.

In the knockout stages, France’s first test was Belgium, historically a country they have played more than any other, and also their direct geographical neighbors. They dominated the game, as they did with so many this tournament, but once again failed to find that crucial killer instinct in front of goal.

As a matter of fact, they failed to create any sort of clear cut chance until the 85th minute, where Randal Kolo-Muani’s scuffed attempt found the back of the net via Jan Vertonghen’s knee, the second own goal in France’s favor in four games. Lady luck had struck again, and France had struggled into the quarter finals.

Their next opponents were Portugal, another team who were lacking up top and struggling to find the back of the net. The game played out just as you would expect: 0-0 after 90 minutes, and 0-0 after 120 minutes. France could well have won the game in both periods, but they could just as easily have faced defeat too.

With both sides lacking clinical finishing, penalties were required, and while France confidently dispatched all five of theirs, the assuredness from the spot didn’t replicate how uneasy they looked in open play. Luck had once again fallen in their favor, but they were bound to be punished sooner or later.

France reached the semi final of Euros by scoring a penalty and 2 own goals pic.twitter.com/EOy9EGRcWG

— Troll Football (@TrollFootball) July 5, 2024

Punishment arrived in the form of the seemingly insurmountable obstacle of Spain, who had been playing opponents off the pitch throughout the tournament.

Despite Kolo-Muani scoring France’s first goal from open play in 530 minutes of Euro football, France once again failed to convert a multitude of half chances, and once Spain had dragged themselves ahead from a losing position, they never really looked likely to give up the lead. While France threatened from corners, their desperation was clear, and with talisman Mbappe a non factor all night, the French were eliminated with a whimper.

Attacking issues

When you look at the squad that Deschamps has at his disposal, it would be common sense to state that the attack is their strongest third of the pitch. Griezmann, Giroud, Mbappe, Kolo-Muani, Dembele and Thuram are all world class players plying their trade in top leagues, and each one brings a different dynamic to how France structure their attacks.

However, the slow, almost over-patient build up that Deschamps has ingrained in his players poses a detriment to such a dynamic front line. Passing around the back line and midfield takes away the pace threat that Kylian Mbappe provides when running in behind, and it also impacts negatively on Thuram and Giroud, who both like balls being played directly to them to knock down and feed a forward runner.

Marcus Thuram in Euros 2024:

2 games
2 matches
2 appearances

Pure football🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/3CtPia8vy9

— Inside Milan (@_InsideMilan) June 23, 2024

Granted, it works for their wingers, such as Dembele and Barcola, who when they receive the ball to feet, can run at their adversary, but once again because of the slow build up, defenders receive warning of when the winger will receive it, and so have time to double up and render the threat completely void.

It was in fact the French defense that stood out this tournament, as they conceded just one goal before the semi final against Spain, a Robert Lewandowski penalty. William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano formed a formidable wall, particularly with the omnipotent presence of N’golo Kante in front of them, and did their jobs admirably, completely shutting down opposition attacks, keeping four clean sheet in the process.

However, an impressive defense can only do so much, and if the front line isn’t contributing to the effort, then inevitably there will be a game where the defenders slip up, putting added pressure on the already criticized goal scorers.

The future of Didier Deschamps as France coach is in the wind at the moment, and after a poor showing this summer, there will be added pressure on the French FA to change something. Previously criticized at tournaments for playing “boring football”, France fans and followers will want to see a fresh faced coach imprint himself on the team and help produce football worthy of the quality at his disposal.

I have just one thing to say: Zinedine Zidane happens to be unemployed…

Deschamps is an absolute footballing legend.

As a player and as a coach. But France has the highest of standards, which in a way, he help set when he captained them to their first WC.

Despite reaching a semifinal, 1 open play goal might be enough to see him leave for, Zidane.

— colleen cheyenne (@colleenchey) July 9, 2024