"When you win, you hold your head high; when you lose, you have to keep it." These are the words of French captain Kylian Mbappe, who admitted that Les Bleus failed to execute their game plan that allowed Spain to dictate the tempo in a 2-0 defeat at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Spain have produced a complete team performance to overcome France. They controlled the game from start to finish, nullifying Les Blues' world-class forwards while playing with poise and verve in attack.
"We didn't play the match we wanted to play, whether tactically, technically, or in terms of our overall performance. When you don't do what you're supposed to do in a World Cup semi-final, you don't win. Spain stuck to their game plan. In terms of controlling the game, they're better than us; we weren't able to do that. There were too many technical errors. We didn't play the match we had prepared for; we let them dictate the tempo, and if Spain dictates the tempo with their ball control and overall level, it's difficult," Mbappe said after the match.
