'Was the referee good enough?' Deschamps questions officiating after France's World Cup defeat to Spain

France head coach Didier Deschamps has questioned whether the referee was at the required standard for a FIFA World Cup semi-final following his side's 2-0 defeat to Spain.

Les Bleus saw their hopes of reaching another World Cup end at the hands of an impressive Spanish side in Arlington, Texas.

Still, Deschamps believes several controversial decisions from referee Iván Barton had an impact on the game.

Although the French manager accepted that Spain deserved the victory, he expressed frustration with what he described as several questionable calls throughout the match.

His biggest complaint centred on the first-half penalty awarded to Spain after Lucas Digne was adjudged to have fouled teenage star Lamine Yamal inside the penalty area.

Deschamps also questioned why Yamal escaped a booking following what he viewed as a reckless challenge during the game.

Without detailing every incident, the French coach suggested the officiating fell below the standard expected at such a crucial stage of the tournament.

"I'll ask a loaded question and I won't answer it," Deschamps told reporters.

He added, "Is the referee at the level required to officiate a World Cup semi-final? And I'm not saying this just because we lost today. There were quite a few situations."

Despite his criticism of the officiating, Deschamps refused to use the referee as an excuse for France's elimination.

The veteran coach acknowledged that Spain was technically superior and controlled much of the encounter.

He said, "The players are devastated because we had a lot of ambition. But we also have to be realistic and acknowledge that today we were a notch below... against a team that controlled the game well."

He added, "First of all, it's our fault; I don't want to blame anyone."