Kylian Mbappe faces harsh criticism after France’s World Cup semifinal defeat

Kylian Mbappe‘s quiet performance in France‘s 2-0 World Cup semifinal defeat to Spain has drawn strong criticism despite another outstanding tournament. Les Bleus were eliminated in Dallas after goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro ended their hopes of reaching a third straight FIFA World Cup final.

France entered the match as favorites but struggled to break down Spain’s organized defense. Mbappe, who had scored eight goals before the semifinal, failed to make his usual impact as Spain limited his influence throughout the game.

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Speaking on ESPN, former United States international Herculez Gomez questioned the French captain’s display.

“He’s coming off back-to-back disappointing club seasons for Real Madrid,” Gomez said. “And the one place where he wasn’t questioned, where it was his team, was the French national team.”

He added, “You would have thought this was his tournament. Eight World Cup goals. And he wasn’t a factor in this game.”

Spain neutralized France’s biggest threat, Kylian Mbappe

Gomez highlighted how effectively Spain contained one of football’s most dangerous forwards.

“He didn’t even come close,” Gomez said. “His only shots on goal were in garbage time, the dying minutes of this game where they’re throwing everything at Spain, and Spain’s completely in control.”

Spain controlled possession and restricted France to just 0.30 expected goals, their lowest attacking output in a World Cup match in six decades. Mbappe also failed to register a shot on target for the first time in nine World Cup appearances.

Despite the criticism, one disappointing match should not overshadow Mbappe’s tournament. He finished with eight goals and three assists while becoming France’s all-time leading scorer during the competition.

Spain’s performance deserves the credit

Spain deserves significant credit. Their compact defensive shape denied Mbappe the space he typically exploits, while France struggled to move the ball quickly through midfield after falling behind.

Mbappe accepted responsibility after the defeat, describing France’s technical play as “sloppy” while acknowledging the team fell short of its standards.

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The loss will remain painful because France looked capable of lifting another World Cup. For Mbappe, however, the broader picture remains unchanged. One difficult semifinal does not erase a remarkable tournament, but it reinforces that football’s biggest matches are often judged by decisive moments rather than overall statistics.