After the 2-0 defeat in the 2026 World Cup semifinal against Spain, Kylian Mbappe made an honest assesment on France’s performance: “We didn’t know how to hurt Spain.” Kylian Mbappe suffered one of the most painful defeats of his career on Tuesday, failing to reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup final after Spain handed France a sobering 2-0 defeat at AT&T Stadium in Dallas. Following the final whistle, the Les Bleus captain offered a blunt, honest assessment of the semifinal exit, admitting that “We didn’t know how to hurt Spain.”
Speaking to French outlet M6 in the mixed zone, Mbappe detailed his perspective on the tactical shortcomings that doomed their championship aspirations: “We didn’t play the game we wanted to play, whether tactically, technically, or in terms of the overall level we produced. When you don’t do what you are supposed to do in a World Cup semi-final, you don’t win. Spain stuck to their plan, to what they are faithful to: a team that likes to control the ball, control the tempo.“
While acknowledging Spain’s mastery of their gameplan, Mbappe noted that France’s primary struggles came down to a failure in execution. “The idea was to press them high so as not to let this false rhythm settle in, and we didn’t manage to do that. There were too many technical errors; we didn’t know how to hurt them when we needed to hurt them,” Mbappe added.
‘It was a dream’ for Mbappe to reach another final
As unfamiliar as it may feel, Mbappe will miss out on the World Cup final for the first time in his international career, following his starring roles in the 2018 and 2022 showcases. While a semifinal run remains a highly commendable achievement on the global stage, returning to the tournament’s grandest fixture “was a dream” for the newly minted Real Madrid superstar.
When asked to describe his emotions, Mbappe opened up about the collective heartbreak felt inside the French locker room “Like everyone, a lot of disappointment. It was a dream for us to reach the final, to give our country that chance to dream, to make history… Now, it’s something we have to face with our heads held high. There is a tremendous amount of disappointment; I can’t quite find the words for it. We’ll have to lift our heads up, go on holiday, and start again. Football waits for no one. Other things will be at stake at club and international level.“
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