This raised hopes of a sensational upset, but their dreams were dashed by Spain's comeback, which ended in a 4-1 defeat.

“The thought 'Wow, we can do it' was something we had before the game because we were playing against a great team but we thought we could have a chance,” Sagnol said when asked how he felt when Georgia took the lead.

“Otherwise we wouldn’t have been on the pitch.

“We took the lead right from the first attack and if we had still been leading 1-0 at half-time, we might have had a bit more energy for the second half.

“But it was a bit too much for us. Spain deserved the win, there's no debate about that.”

Spain equalised through Rodri six minutes before half-time and dominated the game in the second half with goals from Fabian Ruiz, Nico Williams and Dani Olmo.

However, Sagnol said Rodri's goal should have been disallowed because Spanish captain Alvaro Morata was offside and blocked the Georgian goalkeeper's view.

“If you want my opinion: Yes, it was definitely offside,” he complained.

“I think VAR is a fantastic development in football, but I don't think we know how to use it properly.”

Georgia's elimination marks the end of a remarkable run in the former Soviet republic's first major tournament since independence in 1991.

Sagnol said it was too early to think about their chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

“Sometimes you have to take the time to look back at what you have done,” he said.

“We can sit back and be very satisfied with the last year because the team’s development was absolutely fantastic.

“I am very proud of what the players have achieved over the last few months. Now the journey is over, but I am sure the next one will be very exciting too.”

European qualification for the World Cup does not start until next year and Georgia's next goal is the UEFA Nations League, which begins in September.

Their performances in the last Nations League enabled them to qualify for the European Championship via the play-offs, as they were promoted from the third-tier League C.

This time they will play in a group with the Czech Republic, Ukraine and Albania in League B, where more impressive results would improve their chances of reaching the next European Championship in 2028.

“We have worked so hard to get here and I think when the players, the staff and everyone else realise what we have achieved together, we will of course do our best to return to a major competition,” said the Frenchman.

“Playing against the best teams and with the best players in great stadiums and with a great atmosphere and giving the Georgian fans the opportunity to come here and sing the national anthem was a great experience.”

“Tomorrow morning we only want one thing: to come back.”

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