Mbappe points to France errors after World Cup semifinal defeat

Kylian Mbappe said France’s World Cup semifinal exit came down to failures in execution and structure after a 2-0 defeat to Spain in the Dallas area. The loss ended France’s bid to reach a third consecutive World Cup final and sent Spain into the title match.

Speaking to French broadcaster M6 after Tuesday’s match, Mbappe said France did not produce the performance it had planned. He said Les Bleus fell short tactically, technically and in their general level of play.

“I don’t think we played the match we wanted to play,” Mbappe told M6, according to AFP. He added that teams that fail to carry out their responsibilities in a World Cup semifinal do not win.

Mbappe said France wanted to press Spain high up the field to stop Luis de la Fuente’s side from settling into a slower possession game. According to Mbappe, that plan did not work, and Spain’s ability to control the match became a decisive factor.

The France captain identified midfield as a major problem. He told M6 that Adrien Rabiot and Aurelien Tchouameni were repeatedly left at a numerical disadvantage against Spain’s Rodri, Dani Olmo and Fabian Ruiz.

Mbappe said France often faced a three-against-two situation in central areas, which he described as especially costly against Spain. He said the combination of those issues led to the defeat and called the result a major disappointment.

AFP reported that Mbappe had been one of the leading players of the tournament before France’s elimination, scoring eight goals during the team’s run to the last four. The 27-year-old Real Madrid forward had been seeking another appearance in a World Cup final after reaching the previous two with France.

Spain outplayed France at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas, according to AFP. The result ended a campaign in which France’s attack had produced freely before running into Spain in the semifinal.

Mbappe said reaching the final had been a dream for the squad and a chance to give France another moment in World Cup history. He said the players now had to accept the result with their heads held high, even as the disappointment remained difficult to describe.

He also said France must recover from the setback after taking time away. Mbappe told M6 that the squad had to learn from the failure, put it behind them and prepare for what comes next because football does not wait.

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.