France falls flat again. This déjà vu shouldn't have been a surprise.
Despite talent and change, Les Bleues can’t break free from years of quarterfinal heartbreak and a crippling pattern of disappointment.
It was a familiar scene; one we’ve come to expect at major tournaments. So, you’d think we’d be used to it by now.
But this time, it felt different.
France weren’t blown away. They didn’t bottle a lead or lose their heads. They were composed, organized, even gritty at times. But when the penalties came, of course they fell. When the moment arrived, of course they shrank. And when it ended — of course — it ended in defeat.
It should’ve been seen as a fait accompli from the start.
Twelve games. Twelve defeats. That’s France’s record against Germany in major tournaments. It’s not just a losing streak; it’s an identity crisis. This was supposed to be the year they broke the cycle, the summer they turned promise into something permanent. A final. A trophy. At the very least, a semifinal. But quarterfinals are France’s glass ceiling. And once again, they ran headfirst into it.
This one will sting, not because it was shocking — but because it wasn’t. Not at all. France were among the most talented squads at this tournament. They were better than Sweden, more balanced than England, arguably deeper than Spain. In Delphine Cascarino, Sandy Baltimore, Marie-Antoinette Katoto, Grace Geyoro, Selma Bacha and Sakina Karchaoui, they had some of the brightest, most consistent performers in the group stage. That’s depth. They opened with a win over England that was more one-sided than the 2-1 scoreline indicated. They passed the ball with pace, showed a new kind of edge. They looked like a team ready to flip the script.
But this is France. And if there’s one thing you can bet on in women’s international football, it’s that France will disappoint you the moment you believe in them.
Since 2009, Les Bleues have advanced past the quarterfinal stage of a major tournament exactly twice in their last seven attempts — and the last one was more than a decade ago, at the 2012 Olympics. The names have changed. The managers have changed. The styles, the captains, the keepers — all changed. The endings haven’t.
France have tried reinvention, revolution, even purging their most iconic leaders. Coach Laurent Bonadei, a neophyte, dropped Wendie Renard and Eugenie Le Sommer less than a month before this tournament — stripping the squad of its institutional memory and experience. Kenza Dali, a mainstay, didn’t even make the plane.
Was it a bold new chapter or a reckless experiment? It started with promise but ended predictably. No change in the end result from the last five major tournaments.
A generation of talented players making up deep France teams have flickered before falling among the first hurdles in knockout soccer. Camille Abily, Louisa Nécib, Laure Georges, Sarah Bouhaddi, Gaëtane Thiney — some of the brightest players of their era — have nothing at the international level to match their fruitful club careers.
The result is the raison d’être and esprit d’équipe of the French national team passed on is crise de nerfs rather than sang-froid. There is no doubt a malaise — you can call it a malédiction.
Les Bleues looked on the cusp in 2011 and 2012, finishing fourth at the World Cup and Olympics. Their aforementioned core coming into their prime. But, like Saturday, they ran into their nemesis Germany, losing in the 2015 World Cup quarterfinals on penalties. At Rio 2016, same stage, same result against Canada.
France had the chance to host tournaments. That backing, which can just as soon turn to pressure, proved too much. A mesmerizing run in 2019 was halted by a United States team on an unstoppable tour de force. In the stands of the Parc des Princes that night, there was palpable energy and quality from both sides. It was unfortunate someone had to lose. And it was France who said au revoir in their third straight quarterfinal.
Come 2024 and the Paris Olympics — following another agonizing final-eight exit on penalties versus host Australia in 2023 — Brazil edged the French in the quarters.
The loss caused change. In came Bonadei with promises of renewal. Out went the urbane, yet unproven Hervé Renard, along with old stalwarts Wendie Renard and Le Sommer.
Bonadei invoked Albert Einstein, saying to get different results, you need to change; you can’t keep pressing the same buttons, or relying on the same players.
Turns out, even with a new recipe, the product on Saturday was the same. The French side was a study in paradox: gifted and graceful, yet fragile under pressure. Talent flourished during open play but evaporated in decisive moments. When the final whistle blew and the shootout loomed, it felt less like a test of nerves and more like a foregone conclusion. Bonadei admitted they hadn’t practiced penalties — not due to lack of time or tactical oversight, but because he didn’t want to "add pressure." But preparation is pressure. Managing pressure is the crucible where champions are forged. France’s reluctance to confront that reality sealed their fate before the first kick.
There’s something uniquely frustrating about this team. The talent is undeniable. The flow is beautiful. Their ceiling remains among the highest in the world. But their floor? It’s heartbreakingly familiar. France don’t go down swinging. They don’t implode. They simply wilt. Slowly. Silently. Predictably.
And so here we are again. France go home before the medals are handed out. The players look stunned, the staff search for words, the federation prepares for inquiry. We’ll hear calls for change. Again. We’ll debate coaching decisions. Again. We’ll lament wasted potential. Again.
This wasn’t just about one game or one manager or one generation. This was about a pattern — deeply ingrained, brutally persistent. The French women’s national team has been chasing greatness for two decades. They’ve come close, often. But close isn’t good enough anymore. Not with this talent. Not with this history. Not with the sport growing in stature but being hindered by the national team’s madeleine-soft mentality.
So yes, it was a familiar scene. We should be used to it by now.
But that’s the thing about heartbreak — even when it’s inevitable, it still manages to surprise you.