Kylian Mbappe, the French national team striker, sparked widespread controversy after appearing to laugh and joke with Thomas Tuchel, the England coach, during the halftime break of the World Cup third-place match, despite France conceding four unanswered goals in the first 45 minutes.

Cameras showed Mbappe exchanging laughs with Tuchel, his former coach at Paris Saint-Germain, in a scene that angered French fans, especially since the French star appeared as if the crushing defeat suffered by his national team did not concern him.

Stark contradiction with his statements

This situation stands in stark contrast to Mbappe's pre-match comments, where he said that the players 'did not give Deschamps the perfect ending,' referring to their desire to honor their outgoing coach by winning the bronze medal.

But Mbappe's performance and behavior were completely opposite to what he said, as he seemed indifferent to the humiliating defeat suffered by 'Les Bleus' in the first half, sparking a wave of criticism on social media.

Tuchel had coached Mbappe at Paris Saint-Germain, which explains their friendly relationship, but the timing of this joking raised questions about the French star's commitment to his national team and his departing coach.

Struggle for top scorer

It is worth noting that Mbappe is competing with Lionel Messi, the Argentine star, for the title of all-time top scorer of the 2026 World Cup, as both are tied with 8 goals each, and Messi will play the final of the tournament against Spain on Sunday, which gives him a chance to take the lead alone.