France’s golden generation left heartbroken as Zidane era beckons

DALLAS, Texas, July 15 : France's World Cup semi-final exit left one of the country's most gifted generations grappling with yet another heartbreak, but a new era beckons, with Zinedine Zidane expected to harness the squad's extraordinary individual talent in a bid to deliver a third global title.Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat by Spain was particularly painful because of the manner in which it came. France had arrived in Dallas on the back of six consecutive wins and dreaming of a third successive World Cup final but, confronted with their first truly formidable test of the tournament, they were outplayed technically and tactically and never looked capable of changing the balance of the contest.It was their third successive major semi-final defeat by Spain, following Euro 2024 and the Nations League