FIFA World Cup 2026: 'We were too sloppy technically', says Mbappe after France's semi-final defeat to Spain

France captain Kylian Mbappe admitted his side fell well short of the standards required in a FIFA World Cup semi-final after a 2-0 defeat to Spain ended Les Bleus' hopes of reaching a third successive final, reported Reuters.

Spain produced a disciplined display at AT&T Stadium to book their place in the World Cup final for only the second time in their history, with Mikel Oyarzabal's first-half penalty and Pedro Porro's second-half strike sealing victory. The result also marked the first World Cup final since 2018 that will not feature France.

Reflecting on the defeat, Mbappe said France failed both tactically and technically against a Spanish side that controlled the midfield through Rodri and Fabian Ruiz.


"We were three against two in midfield, and against Spain, that's hard," Mbappe said, as per Reuters. "Fabian and Rodri had plenty of time to play. There was a lack of communication in the press. I think we should have done a man-to-man press and forced them to run with us."

France entered the contest on the back of six consecutive wins and 16 goals in the tournament, but struggled to impose themselves as Spain dominated possession and dictated the tempo.

Mbappe revealed France had intended to press high and disrupt Spain's build-up, but the plan failed to materialise.

"We didn't play the game we wanted, technically, tactically. When you don't do what you have to do in a World Cup semifinal, you don't win," said the France skipper.

The Real Madrid forward was also critical of his team's execution in possession, saying careless play prevented France from taking advantage of the few opportunities they created.

"We were too sloppy technically. We could not hurt them when we could have," he said.

Spain took the lead in the 22nd minute after Lamine Yamal won a penalty, which Mikel Oyarzabal calmly converted. Didier Deschamps' problems worsened when defender William Saliba was forced off through injury before the break.

The France coach introduced Manu Kone, Desire Doue and Rayan Cherki in search of a response after halftime, but Spain doubled their advantage just after the hour mark when Pedro Porro exchanged passes with DOlmo before beating Mike Maignan with a composed finish.

France threatened briefly through Aurelien Tchouameni and Mbappe, but Spain's defence held firm to register its sixth clean sheet in seven matches at the tournament.

Mbappe, who entered the semi-final with eight goals, was unable to add to his tally and remains level with Argentina captain Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot.

Accepting responsibility as captain, the 27-year-old said the defeat was a collective disappointment.

"As the captain, I have to take all the responsibility, and I have no problem with that. We wanted to go to the final. We didn't go," he concluded.

France will now face the loser of the second semi-final between Argentina and England in Saturday's third-place playoff, while Spain awaits the winner as they chase their second FIFA World Cup title.