Kylian Mbappe expressed deep disappointment following France’s 2-0 loss to Spain in the World Cup semi-final on Tuesday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The defeat ended France’s bid for a third consecutive World Cup final appearance and brought an abrupt halt to Mbappe’s standout tournament performance, during which he scored eight goals.

Speaking to French broadcaster M6, the 27-year-old captain attributed the loss to a combination of tactical and technical shortcomings. “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. He added that the French team failed to execute their game plan, stating, “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 identified France’s midfield as the key area of struggle, noting that the pairs of Adrien Rabiot and Aurelien Tchouameni were consistently outnumbered and overrun by Spain’s trio of Rodri, Dani Olmo, and Fabian Ruiz. “We kept finding ourselves outnumbered 3-on-2 in midfield,” he explained. “Against Spain, that’s a real problem... When you put it all together, the result is a defeat. It’s a huge disappointment.”

Despite the setback, Mbappe emphasized the team’s determination to persevere and learn from the experience. “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.”

He acknowledged the emotional toll on the squad, describing their feelings as difficult to articulate. Nevertheless, Mbappe called for moving forward with resilience. “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.”