Mbappe: Reasons for Defeat, We Feel Great Disappointment

France captain Kylian Mbappé admitted that his team did not perform to the required level against Spain, following their 2-0 defeat in the 2026 World Cup semi-final.

Kylian Mbappé spoke to French network M6, saying: "We did not play the match we wanted, neither tactically nor technically, nor even in terms of the overall level we showed. When you don't do what you need to do in a World Cup semi-final, you won't win."

He added: "Spain remained true to its usual style, they love to control the ball and dictate the pace of the game. Our idea was to press them high so they wouldn't feel comfortable, but we didn't succeed in that, and we made a lot of technical mistakes and didn't know how to hurt them when we needed to."

He continued in the same vein: "We allowed them to dictate the pace, and we needed to change the balance of power but we failed. From the start, we found ourselves in a three against two situation in midfield, and against Spain, that's very difficult. Fabian Ruiz and Rodri had enough time to play, and there were communication issues during the press."

He continued: "We needed to play man-to-man and force them to run with us, as they are a team that doesn't like to run without the ball. Even when we regained possession, the passing and first touches were not at the level expected in a World Cup semi-final. When you combine all these factors, the result is defeat."

He concluded: "There is a huge disappointment. Our dream was to reach the final and give our country a chance to dream and make history. Now we have to deal with it with our heads held high. I can't describe the level of frustration in words. We will need to recover and take some rest before moving forward, as football waits for no one, and there are other challenges ahead with clubs and the national team."