France captain and star striker Kylian Mbappé rued the end of his team’s dream of a third World Cup crown after losing 2-0 to Spain. Mbappé, who jointly leads the race (with Lionel Messi) for the Golden Boot with eight goals, blamed tactical and technical blunders for his side’s shocking exit in the first semifinal on Tuesday.&nbsp;For the third time in as many World Cup editions, Mbappé emerged as the top force for France in their lead-up to the last four, netting the most goals. However, the 27-year-old failed to find the back of the net in this crucial game, as Spain scored two to punch their final ticket.&nbsp; &nbsp;Speaking with the French broadcaster M6, Mbappé said the loss had been a huge disappointment for the French squad, and that their performance was not worthy of a semifinal showdown. Being blunt in his assessment, Mbappé said that the way they played against Spain, France did not deserve to win.&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/didier-deschamps-questions-referee-credentials-after-france-world-cup-semifinal-loss-to-spain-1784069729042">Deschamps questions referee’s credentials after France’s semifinal loss to Spain</a> &nbsp;"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 semifinal, you don't win.” &nbsp;"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." &nbsp;Mbappé pinpointed the crux of the problem in midfield, where France's duo of Adrien Rabiot and Aurelien Tchouameni rapidly found themselves overrun by Spain's triumvirate of Rodri, Dani Olmo and Fabian Ruiz. &nbsp;"We kept finding ourselves outnumbered 3-on-2 in midfield," Mbappé said. "And against Spain, that's a real problem...When you put it all together, the result is a defeat. It's a huge disappointment."

FIFA World Cup 2026 Live on Zee5

Mbappé said France’s squad was determined to bounce back after digesting the lessons of the loss. &nbsp;"It was a dream for us to reach the final, to give our country the chance to keep dreaming and to make history," he said. "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. &nbsp;"But right now, there is immense disappointment. I find it hard to put into words just how disappointed the squad and I are. &nbsp;"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." &nbsp;France will now feature in the 3rd-place play-off match against the loser of the England vs Argentina second semifinal.

A brutally honest Kylian Mbappé opened up after France's 2-0 World Cup semifinal loss to Spain, admitting their performance was "not worthy of a semifinal." Read the captain's full tactical breakdown of France's midfield struggles and their plans to rebuild.

France captain and star striker Kylian Mbappé rued the end of his team’s dream of a third World Cup crown after losing 2-0 to Spain. Mbappé, who jointly leads the race (with Lionel Messi) for the Golden Boot with eight goals, blamed tactical and technical blunders for his side’s shocking exit in the first semifinal on Tuesday. For the third time in as many World Cup editions, Mbappé emerged as the top force for France in their lead-up to the last four, netting the most goals. However, the 27-year-old failed to find the back of the net in this crucial game, as Spain scored two to punch their final ticket. Speaking with the French broadcaster M6, Mbappé said the loss had been a huge disappointment for the French squad, and that their performance was not worthy of a semifinal showdown. Being blunt in his assessment, Mbappé said that the way they played against Spain, France did not deserve to win. Also read| Deschamps questions referee’s credentials after France’s semifinal loss to Spain "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 semifinal, 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." Mbappé pinpointed the crux of the problem in midfield, where France's duo of Adrien Rabiot and Aurelien Tchouameni rapidly found themselves overrun by Spain's triumvirate of Rodri, Dani Olmo and Fabian Ruiz. "We kept finding ourselves outnumbered 3-on-2 in midfield," Mbappé said. "And against Spain, that's a real problem...When you put it all together, the result is a defeat. It's a huge disappointment."

A brutally honest Kylian Mbappé opened up after France's 2-0 World Cup semifinal loss to Spain, admitting their performance was "not worthy of a semifinal." Read the captain's full tactical breakdown of France's midfield struggles and their plans to rebuild.

Kylian Mbappe’s blunt take after Spain loss: ‘Our performance was not worthy of a semifinal’

Outgoing France head coach Didier Deschamps questioned the match referee, Ivan Barton from El Salvador, about his credentials following his team’s exit from the 2026 World Cup. Spain beat France 2-0 to knock them out of the tournament and qualify for their second-ever World Cup final – the first since lifting their only FIFA crown in 2010 in South Africa. Deschamps, who will leave his job as the national team coach following the World Cup exit, and will now be replaced by Zinedine Zidane, admitted the players were devastated by the loss.&nbsp;Despite scoring 16 goals in the lead-up to the first semifinal, eight of which were scored by Kylian Mbappé – the joint-most with Lionel Messi in this tournament - France failed to breach Spain’s defence, which has conceded just one goal so far in this World Cup.&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-world-cup-2026-1st-semifinal-spain-beat-france-2-0-to-qualify-final-spot-oyarzabal-porro-on-target-1784063321079">World Cup 2026, 1st Semifinal: Spain sink France to book final spot; Oyarzabal, Porro on target</a> &nbsp;"Of course, there is a lot of disappointment," Deschamps said immediately after the defeat at the AT&amp;T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. "The players are devastated because we had a lot of ambition, even though we also have to be realistic and acknowledge that today we were a notch below on the technical level against a team that controlled the game well. &nbsp;"But first of all, it's our fault. I don't want to blame anyone."

The coach, however, couldn’t resist firing shots at referee Barton, who awarded Spain a penalty after Digne’s ‘unintentional’ foul on Yamal in the first half. &nbsp;"I'll ask a loaded question, and I won't answer it," Deschamps said. "Is the referee at the level required to officiate a World Cup semifinal? &nbsp;"And I'm not saying this just because we lost today. There were quite a few situations. There were some favourable calls, too," he said, without elaborating. &nbsp;Meanwhile, France is not entirely out of the tournament, as they will participate in the 3rd-4th place match, which determines who will finish third; France will face the loser of the second semifinal between England and Argentina.

Outgoing France head coach Didier Deschamps sharply questioned referee Ivan Barton’s credentials following a devastating 2-0 World Cup semifinal loss to Spain. Read his full post-match comments on the defeat, refereeing standards, and the upcoming transition to Zinedine Zidane.

Outgoing France head coach Didier Deschamps questioned the match referee, Ivan Barton from El Salvador, about his credentials following his team’s exit from the 2026 World Cup. Spain beat France 2-0 to knock them out of the tournament and qualify for their second-ever World Cup final – the first since lifting their only FIFA crown in 2010 in South Africa. Deschamps, who will leave his job as the national team coach following the World Cup exit, and will now be replaced by Zinedine Zidane, admitted the players were devastated by the loss. Despite scoring 16 goals in the lead-up to the first semifinal, eight of which were scored by Kylian Mbappé – the joint-most with Lionel Messi in this tournament - France failed to breach Spain’s defence, which has conceded just one goal so far in this World Cup. Also read| World Cup 2026, 1st Semifinal: Spain sink France to book final spot; Oyarzabal, Porro on target "Of course, there is a lot of disappointment," Deschamps said immediately after the defeat at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. "The players are devastated because we had a lot of ambition, even though we also have to be realistic and acknowledge that today we were a notch below on the technical level against a team that controlled the game well. "But first of all, it's our fault. I don't want to blame anyone."

Outgoing France head coach Didier Deschamps sharply questioned referee Ivan Barton’s credentials following a devastating 2-0 World Cup semifinal loss to Spain. Read his full post-match comments on the defeat, refereeing standards, and the upcoming transition to Zinedine Zidane.

Deschamps questions referee’s credentials after France’s semifinal loss to Spain

france-vs-spain-world-cup-semifinal

France Vs Spain World Cup Semifinal, News on France Vs Spain World Cup Semifinal, stories on France Vs Spain World Cup Semifinal, articles on France Vs Spain World Cup Semifinal, France Vs Spain World Cup Semifinal stories at Wion, France Vs Spain World Cup Semifinal news, France Vs Spain World Cup Semifinal latest news

france vs-spain-world-cup-semifinal

Kylian Mbappe’s blunt take after Spain loss: ‘Our performance was not worthy of a semifinal’

Deschamps questions referee’s credentials after France’s semifinal loss to Spain