Kylian Mbappe Gets Honest About France's Coach After World Cup Loss
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0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. Kylian Mbappe and France suffered a disappointing 2-0 loss to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinal, ending the country's run towards a third trophy at the event.
Spain outplayed France throughout Tuesday's battle between two of the best international football teams. Lamine Yamal drew a huge penalty on Lucas Digne, allowing teammate Mikel Oyarzabal to give Spain the early 1-0 lead and momentum.
While France still had an opportunity to tie things up in the second half, another goal arrived courtesy of Pedro Porro at the 58-minute mark to increase Spain's lead to two goals. That left France in a frenzy as they tried to answer in the final portion of the game, but Spain's defensive pressure proved too much.
After the loss, Fox Sports' Jenny Taft spoke with Kylian Mbappe about what he said to France manager, Didier Deschamps, who is nearing the end of his time as the international team's boss.
"Oh, I think nothing changed as far as what Didier means for us French people. As a manager, as a player. ... There is one game left for him, so we gonna try to play the best game for him, because he deserves it and also fans deserve it to have a win and finish third in this World Cup," Mbappe said .
France will play whichever team loses the semifinal matchup between Argentina and England. That game occurs on Wednesday, with the winner getting to play against Spain in the World Cup final.
That third-place game will be Deschamps's final game as France's manager, with football legend Zinedine Zidane replacing him at the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Zidane coached Real Madrid twice in separate stints between 2016 and 2021, and was a decorated player, including winning FIFA World Player of the Year three times and the 1998 Ballon d'Or.
Deschamps has been in the position since 2012, when he took over as France's manager from his former teammate Laurent Blanc. Six years after Deschamps took over, France won the World Cup, in a 4-2 final against Croatia. Mbappe and former teammate Paul Pogba were among those scoring goals in the victory, France's second World Cup win in the country's history.
On Tuesday, France didn't play their best, and that's not Deschamps's fault. France had 14 shots with four on target, but just couldn't find the net. Add in the costly penalty early and a second goal 13 minutes into the second half, and they were on the ropes, something rare for France at the World Cup.
In 2022, France reached the World Cup final but fell to Lionel Messi and Argentina. Now they may need to settle for third or fourth place ahead of the next manager's takeover.
Mbappe's message shows how much the players respect their coach and what he's done for the country over these past 14 years. While a third-place win won't be what fans, the team, or Deschamps were hoping for, a win would provide a strong final performance before his exit.
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