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Kylian Mbappe’s dream of winning a second world cup has ended following France’s 0-2 defeat to Spain in Dallas.
Kylian Mbappe’s France will now contest for the third place. (AP Photo)
France were in red-hot form heading into their FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal showdown against Spain. The former champions, among the favourites to lift the trophy, had lived up to expectations by winning all six of their matches.
They had scored 16 goals while conceding just twice.
That tally of goals conceded doubled to four on Wednesday as Spain produced a masterclass to book their place in Sunday’s World Cup final in New Jersey. For the first time this world cup, France failed to score.
Kylian Mbappe, the joint-highest scorer of the tournament with eight goals, didn’t find the back of the net. He watched as Mikel Oyarzabal put Spain ahead from the penalty spot in the first half before Pedro Porro doubled the lead to all but end France’s hopes of winning a third World Cup title.
Mbappe was kept quiet throughout by Spain, and his reaction after Porro’s second goal has gone viral on social media, with fans pointing to his visible frustration.
After the match, Mbappe admitted France were outplayed.
“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.”
“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,” he added.
Mbappe also pointed to Spain’s numerical advantage in midfield, questioning France’s tactical approach.
“We kept finding ourselves outnumbered 3-on-2 in midfield. 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.
The 2018 World Cup winner insisted France would bounce back from the setback.
“It was a dream for us to reach the final, to give our country the chance to keep dreaming and to make history. 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 said.
“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,” he added.
I cannot make predictions about future events. According to news reports, France’s World Cup dream ended with a 2-0 semifinal loss to Spain. Kylian Mbappe admitted France was outplayed and insisted the team would bounce back.
About the Author
Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience …Read More
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