Mbappé accepts responsibility as France lose 2-0 to Spain in World Cup semifinal

Kylian Mbappe pinpoints where France failed after World Cup exit to Spain: ‘We couldn’t do what we wanted’

While Spain celebrated qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe was left reflecting on another painful international defeat.France’s hopes of reaching a thi...

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'We Were Too Sloppy Technically': Kylian Mbappe Accepts Responsibility After Spain End France's FIFA World Cup Final Dream | Video

Arlington: France captain Kylian Mbappe admitted his side fell well short of the standards required in a FIFA World Cup semi-final after a 2-0 defeat to Spain ended Les Bleus' hopes of reaching a third successive final, reported Reuters.Kylian Mbappé: "Tactically we had a plan to go for them under pressure... to don't let them lead the tempo of the game... because of course it's a team who love to have the control of the game, the control of the ball. And that's what we let them do." pic.twitter.com/HxzpsucXQR— ÐĒŦØ (Prog) (@Deto_RDC) July 14, 2026 Spain produced a disciplined display at AT&T Stadium to book their place in the World Cup final for only the second time in their history, with Mikel Oyarzabal's first-half penalty and Pedro Porro's second-half strike sealing victory. The result also marked the first World Cup final since 2018 that will not feature France. Reflecting on the defeat, Mbappe said France failed both tactically and technically against a Spanish side that controlled the midfield through Rodri and Fabian Ruiz.️ Kylian Mbappe: "When you don't do what you're supposed to do in a World Cup semifinal, you don't win.""Spain stayed true to their game plan. If we are honest, we did not have what it takes to go to the final." pic.twitter.com/RE59kWKBhA— The Touchline | (@TouchlineX) July 14, 2026 "We were three against two in midfield, and against Spain, that's hard," Mbappe said, as per Reuters. "Fabian and Rodri had plenty of time to play. There was a lack of communication in the press. I think we should have done a man-to-man press and forced them to run with us." France entered the contest on the back of six consecutive wins and 16 goals in the tournament, but struggled to impose themselves as Spain dominated possession and dictated the tempo. Mbappe revealed France had intended to press high and disrupt Spain's build-up, but the plan failed to materialise.️New: Mbappe on France’s 2-0 defeat to Spain: • Reporter: Kylian, a difficult night for France. A 2-0 defeat in the World Cup semi-final. From the pitch, what did Spain do that made it so difficult for you?Kylian Mbappe️: First of all, congratulations to Spain. They… pic.twitter.com/iIHUZcgBNz— Vfynn_ (@Vfynn_) July 14, 2026 "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," said the France skipper. The Real Madrid forward was also critical of his team's execution in possession, saying careless play prevented France from taking advantage of the few opportunities they created. "We were too sloppy technically. We could not hurt them when we could have," he said.️ Kylian Mbappe: I don't think the referees wanted us to qualify today. They gave Spain a controversial penalty and wrongly ruled me offside twice when I was clearly onside. It feels like they want the weaker team in the World Cup final, so a certain team can easily win it". pic.twitter.com/R6GPnBpXIU— Goals Zone (@TheGoalsZoneHQ) July 14, 2026 Spain took the lead in the 22nd minute after Lamine Yamal won a penalty, which Mikel Oyarzabal calmly converted. Didier Deschamps' problems worsened when defender William Saliba was forced off through injury before the break. The France coach introduced Manu Kone, Desire Doue and Rayan Cherki in search of a response after halftime, but Spain doubled their advantage just after the hour mark when Pedro Porro exchanged passes with Dani Olmo before beating Mike Maignan with a composed finish. France threatened briefly through Aurelien Tchouameni and Mbappe, but Spain's defence held firm to register its sixth clean sheet in seven matches at the tournament.'We Were Below Our Usual Level': Head Coach Didier Deschamps Admits France Fell Short As Spain Win 2-0 To Reach FIFA World Cup Final | Video Mbappe, who entered the semi-final with eight goals, was unable to add to his tally and remains level with Argentina captain Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot. Accepting responsibility as captain, the 27-year-old said the defeat was a collective disappointment. "As the captain, I have to take all the responsibility, and I have no problem with that. We wanted to go to the final. We didn't go," he concluded. France will now face the loser of the second semi-final between Argentina and England in Saturday's third-place playoff, while Spain awaits the winner as they chase their second FIFA World Cup title. (Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

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‘Immense disappointment’ Mbappe rues end of World Cup dream

ARLINGTON, United States (AFP) — Kylian Mbappe rued the end of France's World Cup dream on Tuesday, blaming tactical and technical blunders for his side's 2-0 semi-final defeat to France. Mbappe had emerged as one of the stars of the tournament during France's run to the last four, rattling in eight goals at the tip of a free-scoring attack that delighted fans worldwide. But the 27-year-old French captain's dreams of a third straight World Cup final appearance ended abruptly as Spain outplayed Les Bleus at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Mbappe told French broadcaster M6 that the loss had been a "huge disappointment" for the French squad. "I don't think we played the match we wanted to play -- whether tactically, technically, or in terms of our overall performance level," Mbappe said. "And when you don't do what you're supposed to do in a World Cup semi-final, you don't win," the Real Madrid star added. "Our goal was to press them high up the pitch to prevent them from settling into that slow, controlled rhythm -- because when it comes to controlling the game, they are better than us. We failed to do that." Mbappe pinpointed the crux of the problem in midfield, where France's duo of Adrien Rabiot and Aurelien Tchouameni rapidly found themselves over-run by Spain's triumvirate of Rodri, Dani Olmo and Fabian Ruiz. "We kept finding ourselves outnumbered 3-on-2 in midfield," Mbappe said. "And against Spain, that's a real problem...When you put it all together, the result is a defeat. It's a huge disappointment." Mbappe said France's crestfallen squad were determined to bounce back after digesting the lessons of the loss. "It was a dream for us to reach the final, to give our country the chance to keep dreaming and to make history," he said. "Now, it is something we have to face with our heads held high. I believe that when you win, you win with your head held high; so when you lose, you have to lose with your head held high, too. "But right now, there is immense disappointment. I find it hard to put into words just how disappointed the squad and I are. "Yet even if it might seem a bit robotic at times, we have to pick ourselves up, go on vacation, and move on to the next chapter. Because football waits for no one. We have to start over, put this failure behind us, and learn from it.

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