Mbappe explained the failure of France in the match for the third place of the 2026 World Cup

France striker and captain Kylian Mbappe has commented on the match for the third place of the 2026 World Cup, admitting that his team completely failed in the first half of the meeting. "After the first half, I can understand why some people think we made a laughing stock of ourselves and didn't live up to the honor of this shirt. But I would say otherwise: we were just human - and we can't afford that. We were completely stunned and the opposition gave us a good shake." According to the forward, after the break, the French managed to change the game, but it was not enough to win. "In the second half, we again became players of the highest level, real machines in psychological terms." Mbappe also emphasized that his biggest regret is that the team could not finish the tournament with a victory for the sake of the head coach. "In the end, we didn't win, and it's a shame, first of all, because of the coach. We wanted to do it for his sake. The first half made it seem like we let him down, but that's not how we wanted him to feel. This match will not overshadow the legacy of Didier Deschamps," the forward concluded. Available for viewing on media.