Kylian Mbappe couldn’t hide his disappointment after reaching unfamiliar World Cup territory

For the first time in his professional career, Kylian Mbappe will not play in a World Cup final following France’s 2-0 semifinal loss against Spain at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday.

During his post-match interview, Mbappe offered a blunt assessment of their loss. The Les Bleus skipper questioned France’s tactics since they were badly outplayed by Spain, specifically in the middle of the park.

“We didn’t play the game we wanted, technically, tactically. When you don’t do what you have to do in a World Cup semifinal, you don’t win. Spain respected their game plan and what the team usually does. They like to control the ball and the tempo,” Mbappe lamented.

“We were three against two in midfield and against Spain, that’s hard,” he added. “Fabian (Ruiz) and Rodri had plenty of time to play. There was a lack of communication on the press. I think we should have done a man-to-man press and forced them to run with us… We were too sloppy technically. We could not hurt them when we could have.”

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Didier Deschamps dismisses talks about his future with France after World Cup loss

Didier Deschamps confirmed in 2025 that he would step down after this year’s quadrennial tournament. With that said, he will have his farewell match against the losers of the England-Argentina semifinal in Miami on Saturday.

Deschamps didn’t want to talk about his future with Les Bleus after losing to Spain. However, he reflected fondly on his time with the national team. He has been in charge since 2012 and set a record for most World Cup matches managed (26).

“It’s not time to talk about the future,” Deschamps told reporters. “It is not important on a personal level whether I leave a competition in a semi-final or final. I am extremely happy. I am very proud of everything we’ve done to reach this stage and to win a World Cup – to take the French team to the highest level.”

“I have been lucky as a player. I have enjoyed happy moments, today is not such a moment. We must accept it without forgetting everything we experienced,” he continued.