Mbappé questions Deschamps' tactical approach after World Cup semi-final elimination

Kylian Mbappé has openly questioned Didier Deschamps’ tactical decisions following France’s elimination by Spain (0-2) in the 2026 World Cup semi-final. In an interview with Spanish newspaper AS, the French captain stated that the Blues had “not played the match we needed to play”.

“We failed in our initial game plan,” Mbappé said, directly pointing to the responsibility of the coaching staff. For many observers, Deschamps’ insistence on fielding his four main attacking players weakened the French midfield, where Aurélien Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot found themselves overwhelmed against Spain’s ball control.

Mbappé also highlighted the unique nature of the World Cup format: “Against a team that likes to keep the ball, being behind in the score is always more difficult. It wasn’t a good day, and the World Cup is different from the Ligue des Champions: there are no two-legged ties.” He described the semi-final as a “missed opportunity,” regretting that the individual quality of the Blues was not put to the service of sufficiently solid collective play.

These comments take on particular significance since Zinédine Zidane succeeded Deschamps as head of the national team. By questioning his former coach’s tactical approach, Mbappé appears to be delivering a harsh assessment of an era that ended without a major title.

On Spain, the French captain leaves no doubt: “I always say that the team that dominates wins, and right now, the dominant team is Spain. You have to give credit where it’s due: Spain is the best team in the world.”