TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - France captain Kylian Mbappe questioned his team's tactics and admitted Les Bleus were second best after their 2-0 defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinal, a result that ended France's bid for a third consecutive appearance in the tournament final.
Spain outplayed Didier Deschamps' side at Dallas Stadium on Tuesday, with Mikel Oyarzabal opening the scoring from the penalty spot before Pedro Porro doubled the lead in the second half. France failed to respond despite a series of tactical changes and now head to the third-place playoff.
As reported by ESPN, Mbappé believed France lost control of the midfield battle against Spain's Rodri and Fabián Ruiz, criticizing both the team's pressing structure and technical execution.
"We were three against two in midfield and against Spain, that's hard," Mbappé said after the match.
"Fabián and Rodri had plenty of time to play. There was a lack of communication on the press. I think we should have done man-to-man press and force them to run with us."
The Real Madrid forward acknowledged that France failed to execute its tactical plan throughout the match.
"We didn't play the game we wanted, technically, tactically," he said. "When you don't do what you have to do in a World Cup semifinal, you don't win."
Mbappé explained that France had intended to press Spain high to disrupt their rhythm but failed to do so effectively.
"They are better than us at controlling a game. We didn't manage to do it. We were too sloppy technically. We could not hurt them when we could have."
He also pointed to repeated mistakes after recovering possession, saying poor first touches prevented France from creating meaningful attacks.
"It is a huge disappointment. But if we are objective, we didn't put all the ingredients to go to the final," he added.
The defeat ended another remarkable World Cup campaign for Mbappé, who remains tied with Argentina captain Lionel Messi on eight goals in the race for the tournament's Golden Boot.
France's disappointing performance also prompted frustration among several players.
Manchester City midfielder Rayan Cherki admitted Spain had outperformed France in every aspect of the game.
"I still believe that we are a better team than them, but this afternoon Spain has been better than us," Cherki said.
"France was missing everything today. Truly, everything was missing today. We'll be back in four years, and we won't make the same mistakes."
Mbappé's frustration became evident late in the match when he collided with Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón while challenging for the ball, earning a yellow card in the 86th minute.
"As the captain, I have to take all the responsibility and I have no problem with that," Mbappé said.
"We wanted to go to the final. We didn't go."
The semifinal defeat comes amid continued scrutiny surrounding Mbappé's unique position as both France's football captain and one of the country's most prominent public figures.
According to CNN, Mbappé has repeatedly become the target of racist abuse throughout his international career despite being one of France's greatest footballers.
Following France's shock elimination from Euro 2020, the Paris-born striker—whose family has Cameroonian and Algerian roots—received a wave of racist attacks on social media after missing the decisive penalty against Switzerland.
At the time, Mbappé even considered stepping away from the national team before ultimately deciding to continue representing France.
Since then, he has led Les Bleus to consecutive deep World Cup runs, including the 2022 final in Qatar and this year's semifinal appearance.
Beyond football, Mbappé has also become a political figure in France after publicly criticizing the country's far-right National Rally ahead of the 2024 elections.
His comments drew responses from National Rally leader Marine Le Pen and party president Jordan Bardella, while later racist remarks from Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla during the 2026 World Cup reignited debate over national identity and discrimination.
French President Emmanuel Macron publicly defended Mbappé after those remarks, writing on X: "Another goal for Kylian Mbappé. Against racism this time."
CNN noted that Mbappé's experience reflects a broader pattern faced by several French players with immigrant backgrounds, including Karim Benzema and Patrice Evra, who have previously spoken about being celebrated as French heroes in victory but having their identity questioned in defeat.
For now, Kylian Mbappe's focus remains on finishing the tournament with France, who will face the loser of the other semifinal between Argentina and England in the third-place playoff.
Read: Spain Knock Out France to Book Place in 2026 World Cup Final
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