Kylian Mbappe Questions Didier Deschamps’ Tactics in France’s World Cup Loss to Spain
- Spain beat France 2-0 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-final, with goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedro Porro sending La Roja to their first final since 2010
- France captain Kylian Mbappe publicly criticised coach Didier Deschamps' tactical approach after Spain dominated Les Bleus in midfield
- Deschamps is set to step down after 14 years in charge following France's third-place match, with Zinedine Zidane expected to replace him
Spain are through to the 2026 FIFA World Cup final after defeating France 2-0 in the semi-final, with Mikel Oyarzabal converting from the penalty spot and Pedro Porro adding the second goal to end Les Bleus' campaign.
La Roja will contest their first final since their 2010 triumph, awaiting the winner of the second semi-final between Argentina and England.
Source: Getty Images
Mbappe questions France’s tactics
France captain Kylian Mbappe did not hold back in his assessment of how his side approached the match, placing the blame squarely on their tactical setup rather than individual errors on the pitch.
Mbappe pointed to a midfield imbalance as the root cause of France's downfall, arguing that Spain's playmakers were given far too much freedom throughout the game.
“We were three against two in midfield, and against Spain, that's hard. Fabian and Rodri had plenty of time to play. There was a lack of communication in the press. I think we should have done man-to-man press and forced them to run with us," he said via ESPN.
According to BBC Sport, the defeat will effectively mark the end of an era for French football. Deschamps is expected to step down following France's third-place match on Saturday, concluding a tenure that began in 2012 and delivered the 2018 World Cup title.
World Cup-winning icon Zinedine Zidane is widely anticipated to succeed Deschamps as the next France head coach, a transition that has been discussed within French football circles for several years.
French trio suffer Ballon d'Or blow
Legit.ng previously reported the updated Ballon d'Or rankings after Spain eliminated France in the semi-final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
French trio Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise saw their chances of winning the Ballon d'Or diminish after the defeat.
Source: Legit.ng
