Kylian Mbappé blames poor pressing for France's 2-0 semifinal loss to Spain

France were eliminated 2-0 by Spain in the World Cup 2026 semifinal. Captain Kylian Mbappé said the team was "not up to the level" and took responsibility for the defeat. He criticised the side’s pressing, noting they often found themselves "three versus two" in midfield, and highlighted too many imprecise touches and a lack of technical quality in key moments. Mbappé added that the French side had "too many imprecisions" and failed to execute a proper one‑on‑one pressure against Spain’s midfield. The loss ends Mbappé’s season without a collective trophy for the first time in his career. France will now contest the bronze‑medal match against the loser of the Argentina‑England game.