Maxence Lacroix: Spain were better in every aspect, we have to accept it

France defender Maxence Lacroix offered no excuses after his side’s 2-0 defeat to Spain in the World Cup 2026 semifinal. Coming off the bench early due to William’s injury, Lacroix admitted Spain outclassed France on the night. “We had to get into the game straight away because William got hurt. But that’s not an excuse. Spain knew exactly where to press us and their tactical plan worked perfectly. We have the quality, but we didn’t show it,” Lacroix told RMC Sport. The French centre-back also highlighted the difficulty in supplying the forwards. “They moved the ball well, and we struggled to find our attacking players. They were the better side, and we have to accept that. We will learn from this,” he added.