Following a disappointing exit from the tournament, French captain Kylian Mbappe cast doubt on the strategic blueprint deployed by manager Didier Deschamps during France’s two to zero defeat against Spain in the FIFA World Cup semifinal this past Tuesday.
The setback shattered Les Bleus’ aspirations of securing a third consecutive appearance in the World Cup final. Throughout the encounter in Texas, Mbappe was kept quiet by the Spanish defense, concluding his tournament campaign with a total of eight goals, which places him in a tie with Argentine legend Lionel Messi for the Golden Boot lead.
Midfield Struggles and Pressing Deficiencies
La Roja’s midfield conductor Rodri dictated the tempo of the match with a dynamic performance. The reigning European champions have now registered three successive victories over France, successfully dismantling a Deschamps side that had looked highly formidable during their opening six fixtures across North America.
Reflecting on the tactical battle in the center of the pitch, Mbappe explained the difficulty of countering Spain’s setup.
“We were three against two in midfield and against Spain, that’s hard,” Mbappe remarked in his post match press conference. “Fabian [Ruiz] 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.”
This campaign marked the second time Mbappe accumulated eight goals in a World Cup tournament, matching his tally from four years ago in Qatar, where France suffered a painful penalty shootout defeat to Messi and Argentina in the final. Prior to that, France had captured the global crown eight years ago in Russia by defeating Croatia.
On Tuesday night, however, the French team produced a listless performance across all areas of the pitch, a reality that Mbappe openly acknowledged alongside his tactical critique. France struggled to establish any meaningful possession, particularly after Mikel Oyarzabal converted a penalty following Lucas Digne’s foul on Lamine Yamal.
“We didn’t play the game we wanted, technically, tactically,” Mbappe explained. “When you don’t do what you have to do in a World Cup semifinal, you don’t win. Spain respected their game plan and what the team usually does. They like to control the ball and the tempo. Our plan was to press them high so they could not install their rhythm. Because 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.”
Player Errors and Second Half Adjustments
The Real Madrid forward also pointed to execution errors made by the players, noting that Spain was highly effective in regaining possession immediately after losing the ball.
“Even when we recovered the ball, our first touches were not good enough. That gives a defeat. It is a huge disappointment. But if we are objective, we didn’t put all the ingredients to go to the final,” Mbappe added.
In an effort to turn the tide, Deschamps turned to his bench during the second half. He withdrew Adrien Rabiot at the interval, subsequently introducing Desire Doue and Manchester City forward Rayan Cherki. However, the personnel changes failed to alter the momentum of the contest.
“I don’t know what to say. They were better than us in every part of the game, and they were hungrier than us I think,” Cherki remarked following the final whistle. “It is sad because I still believe that we are a better team than them, but this afternoon Spain has been better than us. Even in an off day, we have to be a bit better technically, tactically, in the desire. In so many ways, 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.”
Late Match Frustrations and the Road Ahead
The mounting tension became evident in the 86th minute of play when the twenty seven year old Mbappe sprinted toward Unai Simon just as the Spanish goalkeeper was bending down to secure the ball. The resulting collision sent Simon to the turf, earning the French captain a yellow card from the referee.
“As the captain, I have to take all the responsibility and I have no problem with that,” Mbappe concluded. “We wanted to go to the final. We didn’t go.”
France will now travel to Miami Gardens, Florida, to contest the third place playoff on Saturday, where they will face the losing side of Wednesday’s semifinal encounter between England and Argentina.
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