Mbappe blames technical, technical errors in World Cup final loss | World Cup 2026

The French striker admitted that Spain controlled the game and made them pay for mistakes in the semifinal in Dallas.

France captain Kylian Mbappe has dismissed his team’s technical and tactical mistakes as Les Bleus missed out on a place in the World Cup finals. 0-2 loss to Spain in Dallas.

Speaking after the game on Tuesday, Mbappe – who is aiming for a third consecutive World Cup – revealed his disappointment with France’s performance in the tournament.

“I don’t think we played the game we wanted to play – either technically, technically, or in terms of our performance,” Mbappe told French reporter M6.

“And if you don’t do what you have to do in the World Cup, you won’t win.”

“Our goal was to force them to go forward and not settle for slow, controlled moves – because when it comes to controlling the game, they are better than us. We couldn’t do that,” added the Real Madrid star.

Mbappe appeared as one of the stars of the tournament as France raced through to the last four, scoring eight goals at the end of a flurry that delighted fans around the world.

But the 27-year-old’s dream of a World Cup final came to an abrupt end when Spain played Les Bleus at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

‘Great disappointment’

Mbappe proved to be the cause of the problem in the middle of the game, while France midfielders Adrien Rabiot and Aurelien Tchouameni quickly found themselves with Spain midfielder Rodri, Dani Olmo and Fabian Ruiz.

“We were going 3-on-2 in the middle of the game,” Mbappe said. “And against Spain, it’s a big problem… When you put everything together, the result is defeat. It’s very disappointing.”

Mbappe said France’s underdogs are determined to bounce back after learning from the loss.

“It was a dream for us to reach the finals, to give our country the chance to continue dreaming and make history,” he said.

“Now, this 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 must lose with your head held high, too.”

But right now I’m very disappointed because I find it hard to say how disappointed I and the team are.

However, as difficult as it may seem at times, we must get up, go on vacation and move on to the next chapter. Because football waits for no one.