Mbappé’s mixed emotions after England defeat and Deschamps farewell

Kylian Mbappé spoke in the early hours of today after France’s 4‑6 loss to England in the World Cup third‑place match, expressing disappointment that the team failed to give departing coach Didier Deschamps a proper send‑off. The French captain said the first half left the coach feeling abandoned, but stressed that a single match does not erase his legacy. France trailed 0‑4 at halftime, yet the side rallied in the second period, narrowing the gap before the final whistle. Mbappé noted that the team became "top players, mental machines" after the break, controlling their emotions and winning the second half despite ultimately falling short. The forward contributed two goals, taking his World Cup tally to 22 and temporarily making him the sole record holder for tournament goals. He smiled when recalling the milestone, saying it helps his development and legacy, though he would have preferred to win the final rather than hold the scoring record. "After the first half I can understand why some would say it was a joke and that we didn’t respect the shirt," Mbappé said. "I would rather say we were human. Unfortunately we cannot afford that. We were completely shaken and they really woke us up."

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In the second half, Mbappé felt a completely different France emerged. "We were again top players, mental machines who kept our emotions fully under control," he added, emphasizing the team’s dominance after the interval. He also highlighted the emotional weight of Deschamps’ departure after fourteen years as national team manager. "It is a shame for the coach because we wanted to do something for him. The first half gave the impression we left him behind, which is not the feeling we wanted to convey," Mbappé explained.

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Nevertheless, Mbappé thanked Deschamps for everything he had done, insisting the match would not diminish the coach’s legend. "We want to thank him for all he has done for us, because this game will not take away from Didier Deschamps’ legacy," he said. Looking ahead, Mbappé turned his attention to the final between Spain and Argentina, joking that Lionel Messi always scores. "Messi always scores, so he will probably score tomorrow as well," he said with a grin, noting his own focus remains on helping his team with goals rather than personal accolades.