France captain Kylian Mbappe admitted Les Bleus failed to give Didier Deschamps the farewell he hoped for after a dramatic 6-4 defeat to England in the FIFA World Cup third-place playoff, but insisted a disappointing afternoon will never tarnish the outgoing coach’s legacy.

Deschamps departed after 14 years in charge of the France national team with a fourth-place finish, seeing his team trail 4–0 at half-time and stage a strong comeback in the second half, which ultimately failed.

Mbappe, who scored twice in the defeat, admitted that France had let him and his coach down during a disastrous opening 45 minutes, but praised the team’s response after the break.

France vs England, FIFA World Cup Third place play-off: highlight | report

first-half regret

Reflecting on the rollercoaster encounter, Mbappe admitted that France were overwhelmed by England’s intensity from the opening whistle.

“There were two completely different halves. During the first half, I can understand why some people think we made a fool of ourselves and didn’t do justice to the jersey,” Mbappé said.

“Instead I would say that we were human, and we couldn’t afford for this to happen. We were completely shocked, and they really shook us up.”

England took a 4–0 lead before half-time thanks to Declan Rice, Ezri Konsa and Bukayo Saka, whose two first-half goals left France with an impossible task.

However, Mbappé was encouraged by the character shown by his teammates after the restart as Les Bleus threatened an unexpected comeback.

“In the second half, we became top-level players, mental machines.”

France scored four times after the interval through Mbappe, Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele to reduce the deficit to one goal, before Bukayo Saka converted a late penalty and Jude Bellingham scored another goal in stoppage time to ensure England’s bronze medal.

legacy intact

Despite the defeat, Mbappe said the biggest disappointment was not being able to send off Deschamps with a win in his final game as France coach.

“In the end, we didn’t win and that’s a shame for the coach. We wanted to do something for him.”

The France captain admitted the first-half collapse gave the impression the team had abandoned the man who led them to 2018 FIFA World Cup Title and second final four years later.

“The first part gives the impression that we let him down. That’s not at all how we wanted him to feel.”

However, Mbappe was adamant that Deschamps’ place among France’s greatest coaches should not be judged on a difficult afternoon.

“That match will not tarnish Didier Deschamps’ legacy.”

Deschamps is one of the most distinguished managers in French football history, winning the World Cup in 2018, reaching another final in 2022 and leading France to fourth place in 2026.

While France fell behind collectively, Mbappé enjoyed another record-breaking evening. His two goals took his career World Cup tally to 22, moving him ahead of Lionel Messi’s total, while his 10 goals in the tournament secured the Golden Boot despite Les Bleus missing the podium.

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