Mbappe laments France mistakes
Kylian Mbappe lamented France's error-strewn display against Spain, but urged his team-mates to swiftly move on.
France was the favourite to win the World Cup heading into the semi-finals, but it was dispatched 2-0 by Spain at Dallas Stadium.
France had as many shots as Spain and managed to get more on target, but Mbappe conceded Les Bleus were nowhere near the required level.
"We didn't play the game we wanted, technically, tactically," Mbappe said. "When you don't do what you have to do in a World Cup semi-final, you don't win.
"Spain respected their game plan and what the team usually does. They like to control the ball and the tempo. Our plan was to press them high so they could not install their rhythm.
"Because they are better than us at controlling a game. We didn't manage to do it. We were too sloppy technically. We could not hurt them when we could have.
"Even when we recovered the ball, our first touches were not good enough. That gives a defeat. It is a huge disappointment. But if we are objective, we didn't put all the ingredients to go to the final."
"We let them dictate the tempo; it was up to us to change the balance of power, and that's where we failed. Right from the start, with the pressure, with how we pressed them, we always found ourselves three against two in midfield, and against Spain, that's already complicated. Fabian [Ruiz] and Rodri had a lot of time to play; there was a lack of communication in the pressing.
"We needed to play one-on-one, force them to run with us because they're a team that doesn't like to run without the ball. And even when we did win the ball back, technically, the first passes, the first touches weren't worthy of a World Cup semi-final. When you put all that together, it results in a defeat."
As captain, Mbappe shouldered responsibility, while Rayan Cherki added: "I don't know what to say. They were better than us in every part of the game, and they were hungrier than us I think.
"It is sad because I still believe that we are a better team than them, but this afternoon Spain has been better than us. Even in an off day, we have to be a bit better technically, tactically, in the desire.
"In so many ways, France was missing everything today. Truly, everything was missing today. We'll be back in four years, and we won't make the same mistakes."
Mbappe said France must put the disappointment behind it quickly.
"It was a dream for us to reach the final, to give our country this opportunity to dream, to make history… Now it's something we have to face with our heads held high," he said.
"There's an enormous amount of disappointment; I can't quite put it into words. We'll have to pick ourselves up, go on vacation, and move on. Football doesn't wait for anyone. Other things will happen at club and international level."
France's World Cup is not over yet. It will take on either England or Argentina in the third-place play-off on Sunday.
