Kylian Mbappé accepted responsibility after France’s 2-0 World Cup semifinal loss to Spain, but the captain also delivered a blunt assessment of his team’s tactical performance. France failed to reach a third straight World Cup final after being outplayed by the defending European champions.
Mbappé said France could not disrupt Spain’s control of midfield or execute the aggressive pressing plan needed to unsettle Rodri and Fabián Ruiz. He also pointed to poor first touches and technical mistakes after France recovered possession.
Mbappé Questions France’s Pressing Approach
“We were three against two in midfield and against Spain, that’s hard,” Mbappé said after the match. “Fabian [Ruiz] and Rodri had plenty of time to play. There was a lack of communication on the press.”
Mbappé believed France should have pressed Spain man-to-man and forced their opponents into more running. Instead, Spain dictated possession and tempo for much of the semifinal.
“We didn’t play the game we wanted, technically, tactically,” Mbappé said. “When you don’t do what you have to do in a World Cup semifinal, you don’t win.”
Spain took the lead through Mikel Oyarzabal’s penalty after Lucas Digne fouled Lamine Yamal. France never established sustained control as Spain extended their winning run against Deschamps’ side to three matches.
| Match | Result or Status | Next Step |
|---|---|---|
| France vs. Spain | Spain won 2-0 | France eliminated from the semifinal |
| Argentina vs. England | Semifinal scheduled for Wednesday | Loser will face France on Saturday |
Technical Errors Added to France’s Frustration
Mbappé said France’s problems went beyond its structure without the ball. “Even when we recovered the ball, our first touches were not good enough,” he said.
“That gives a defeat,” Mbappé added. “It is a huge disappointment. But if we are objective, we didn’t put all the ingredients to go to the final.”
According to www.espn.com, Didier Deschamps made several second-half changes in an attempt to alter the match. Adrien Rabiot was replaced at halftime, while Désiré Doué and Rayan Cherki were introduced later, but France could not change the outcome.
Cherki also said Spain had been superior across the match despite his belief that France had the stronger squad. “In so many ways, France was missing everything today,” he said.
Mbappé’s frustration surfaced again in the 86th minute when he collided with Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón as Simón bent down to collect the ball. The France captain received a yellow card for the incident.
“As the captain, I have to take all the responsibility and I have no problem with that,” Mbappé said. France will face the loser of Argentina versus England in the third-place game Saturday in Miami Gardens, Florida.
