ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Kylian Mbappé has France ready to win again. world cup The final match against a team that seemed to have the offensive power to solve it. Spain’s defense.
Instead, Les Bleus had no answer. Lost 2-0 in the semi-finals Tuesday at the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys in what will likely be manager Didier Deschamps’ last appearance on football’s biggest stage.
Deschamps, who has said this would be his last World Cup, won the title as a player in 1998 and again as a coach eight years ago in Russia before leading France to the final in Qatar in 2022. Argentina won that championship in a penalty shootout.
“I’m lucky to have had some happy moments as a player,” Deschamps said through an interpreter, adding that it was not the right time to discuss his future. “Today is not one of those moments. But I think we have to remember and accept everything we’ve been through. But the feeling I have today is that I’m not happy.”
Disappointment echoed from Texas and across the Atlantic. There were reportedly numerous clashes in Paris, and incidents between law enforcement and young people in Lyon.
French media lamented the French team’s inability to repeat their exhilarating performance, even though they never trailed in the first six games of the World Cup.
L’Equipe, France’s leading sports newspaper, said that Deschamps’ players were inferior in every aspect of the game and were “unable to live up to the dreams and hopes they had inspired.”
Those players disagreed, but Mbappe was quick to defend his manager, saying he would play hard for Deschamps in Saturday’s third-place match between Argentina and the loser of England in Miami Gardens, Florida.
“Nothing has changed about what Didier means to us French people. As a coach and as a player, he has written a great story,” said the France captain, who was given a quick hug by his coach on the sideline after the final whistle. “He has one more game left and we will try to give him his best game because he deserves it and the fans deserve to win this World Cup and finish third.”
Although the dangerous playmaking of Mbappé, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Oliseh was never on display, the result was Spain’s sixth clean sheet in their seven appearances at this year’s World Cup.
Mbappe’s best chance came in the 67th minute, when his shot hit Spanish defender Marc Cucurella and narrowly missed the target. At this point, La Roja had already built a two-goal lead.
Mbappe, 27, who leads the competition with eight goals alongside Argentine superstar Lionel Messi, showed some frustration after receiving a yellow card in the 86th minute. Just as the Spanish goalkeeper ducked to pick up the ball, he lunged towards Unai Simon. The two collided and Simon fell to the grass.
“Today’s France lacked everything in many ways,” Rayan Cherki said through an interpreter. “We’ll be back in four years and won’t make the same mistakes.”
___
Associated Press writer Samuel Petrequin in Paris contributed to this report.
___
See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here
