France, who was one of the favorites to win this FIFA World Cup 2026, was dominating all their opponents before facing Spain in the semi-final. The former champions had fulfilled expectations by winning all six of their games, making them one of the top contenders to reach the final for the third consecutive time. They had only let up two goals while scoring 16. As Spain put up a masterclass to secure their spot in Sunday’s World Cup final in New Jersey, the number of goals conceded doubled to four on Wednesday. In this World Cup, France has failed to score for the first time.
Kylian Mbappe was unable to score despite being the tournament’s joint-highest scorer with eight goals. He saw Pedro Porro extend the lead to virtually eliminate France’s chances of winning a third World Cup after Mikel Oyarzabal gave Spain the lead from the penalty spot in the first half.
Spain kept Mbappe silent the entire time, and his response to Porro’s second goal went viral on social media, with supporters pointing out his obvious annoyance.
Kylian Mbappe On France’s Exit
Mbappe acknowledged that France had been outplayed after the game.
“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 questioned France’s tactical strategy and cited Spain’s numerical advantage in midfield.
“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.
Mbappe Backs France To Overcome This Loss
The 2018 World Cup champion was adamant that France would overcome the defeat.
“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.
