We committed many technical errors... and we will hold our heads high

Kylian Mbappé, captain of the French national team, commented on the failure of Les Bleus to reach the World Cup final after losing to Spain 2-0.

Mbappé said in statements published by AS newspaper: 'We did not execute the plan we had set for the match, neither tactically nor technically, nor even in terms of the overall level we displayed.'

He added: 'When you don't do what you are supposed to do in a World Cup semi-final, you don't win.'

He continued: 'Spain remained faithful to their style of play, which always characterizes them; they are a team that loves to possess the ball and impose their rhythm on the match.'

He noted: 'Our idea was to pressure them in their areas to prevent them from imposing their rhythm, but we did not succeed in that. We committed many technical errors, and we did not know how to hurt them in the moments we needed to.'

Mbappé remarked: 'We let them control the rhythm of the match, and it was up to us to change the balance of power, but we failed to do so. From the start, with our pressing method, we found ourselves in a 3 vs 2 situation in midfield, and against Spain that becomes complicated.'

He stressed: 'Fabian Ruiz and Rodri had a lot of time to build play, and there were communication problems during the pressing process. We needed to play with a one-on-one approach and force them to run with us, because they are a team that does not like to run without the ball. And even when we recovered the ball, the quality of the first passes and first touches was not at the required level.'

He explained: 'I feel great disappointment. Our dream was to reach the final and give our country a chance to dream and make history. Now we have to deal with this with our heads held high.'

He concluded: 'There is immense disappointment that I cannot put into words. We will need to recover, get some rest during the break, and then move forward. Football waits for no one, and there will be other challenges, whether with clubs or the national team.'