Kylian Mbappé’s open letter to French fans after France’s 2026 World Cup exit
France finished fourth at the 2026 World Cup after a 2‑0 semi‑final loss to Spain and a 6‑4 defeat to England in the bronze match. One week later captain Kylian Mbappé published an open letter in several French newspapers, thanking supporters, teammates and the departing coaching staff. He praised his personal achievement of scoring ten goals to win the Golden Boot, but said the absence of a team trophy “will hurt for a while”. The letter also noted the end of Didier Deschamps’ tenure and previewed the expected appointment of former player Zinédine Zidane as the new France manager.
Mbappé’s message emphasized the shared emotion and pride of the squad, acknowledged the fans’ dedication across time zones, and promised that the story of French football will continue despite the disappointment.
Entities: Didier Deschamps · France national football team · Kylian Mbappé · Real Madrid · Spain national football team · Zinedine Zidane
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 16 SOURCES] Kylian Mbappé published an open letter to French supporters after the 2026 World Cup. (supporting_article_ids)
- [● 7 SOURCES] Mbappé scored ten goals and won the tournament Golden Boot. (supporting_article_ids)
- [● 7 SOURCES] France lost 2‑0 to Spain in the semi‑final of the 2026 World Cup. (supporting_article_ids)
- [● 7 SOURCES] France lost 6‑4 to England in the bronze‑final of the 2026 World Cup. (supporting_article_ids)
- [● 4 SOURCES] In the letter, Mbappé thanked supporters and teammates, expressing pride and disappointment. (multiple)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The letter was published in several French newspapers, including L’Équipe and Groupe Nord Littoral. (multiple)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Zinédine Zidane is expected to be appointed as the new France manager. (supporting_article_ids)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Didier Deschamps stepped down as France manager after the tournament. (supporting_article_ids)
- [● 9 SOURCES] Mbappé expressed disappointment about not winning the World Cup trophy. (supporting_article_ids)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Mbappé said he was the tournament’s top scorer. (multiple articles)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The letter included three photos: a childhood picture with Thierry Henry, a shot of Mbappé in a French jersey applauding fans, and a team photo. (multiple articles)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The letter was published in major French newspapers, including L’Équipe. (multiple articles)