Kylian Mbappe admitted France's failure to win the World Cup will "hurt for a while" but vowed to ensure the story will go on.

France finished fourth at the 2026 edition in the United States, Canada and Mexico, getting knocked out of the semi-final by eventual winners Spain before losing the third-place play-off 6-4 to England.

This marked the first year that Mbappe failed to reach a World Cup final with France, having lifted the trophy in 2018 before finishing as runners-up in 2022.

The France captain rounded off the tournament with two goals and an assist against England, meaning he registered the most goal involvements on record (since 1966) at a single World Cup tournament (14 – 10 goals, four assists).  

He also finished the tournament as the all-time leading goalscorer in the tournament's history, reaching 22 goals, one more than Lionel Messi (21).

And though Mbappe was left disappointed by the outcome of the tournament, he reflected on how the tournament united France.

"A month of excitement. Of overcoming challenges. Of pride in wearing the colours of France," Mbappe said in an open letter on social media.

"Passion, above all, the same passion that drives us on the field and that drives you, both in front of the screen and in the stands. That's what we've experienced together; an incredible story.

"We didn't win a team trophy. It hurts, and it will continue to hurt for a while; I won't lie to you about that.

"I accept the top scorer title with pride, but it would have been much better with the cup as well.

"Perhaps we owed you a more beautiful ending. But we don't always choose the ending of the story; we choose what we put inside, and we gave it our all. That's something we're proud of.

"As a child, I dreamed of playing in a World Cup, at least one. I've played in three, won one, and this year, I had the honour of playing in it as captain. I'll never forget it.

"Football, at its core, is still a game. A game we take very seriously, one we work on our whole lives trying to master, but a game nonetheless, with its simple rules that haven't changed since we first started playing: ball, goal, desire to score. That's why it unites us all with the same passion.

"This World Cup is over, but the story continues. There will be other matches, other summer or winter nights when we'll all gather around the same game, with the same passion undiminished. We haven't finished playing together."

Didier Deschamps took charge of his 187th and final match for France in the third-place play-off, with Zinedine Zidane expected to be unveiled as his successor soon.

And Mbappe's parting words to Deschamps were short, having been kept private.

"Didier, I've already told him what I had to say; he knows," it said.

"Thanks to him, and to his entire team too: physiotherapists, cooks, trainers, drivers, all those people no one ever sees and without whom none of this would be possible. And to those who have hosted us in the United States throughout this competition."