Mbappé urges resilience after France’s World Cup semi-final heartbreak against Spain

Abdullateef Fowewe

France National Team captain Kylian, Mbappé has addressed the national team’s 2-0 semi-final defeat to Spain.

Speaking after the match, the superstar emphasised that “Football waits for no one.”

The Real Madrid forward stated,“We must pick ourselves up, put this setback behind us, learn from it, and move forward. There are new challenges ahead, whether with our clubs or the National Team.”

Spain produced a dominant performance in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-final on July 14, 2026, defeating pre-tournament favorites France 2-0 at Dallas Stadium.

Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring with a 22nd-minute penalty, and Pedro Porro added a second goal in the 58th minute.

Spain’s defense, anchored by Rodri, effectively neutralised France’s attack, limiting Mbappé and his teammates to few clear opportunities.

The victory sent Spain to the final (against the winner of England vs Argentina), marking their first World Cup final appearance since their 2010 triumph.

For France, the loss ended their bid to win the tournament, despite high expectations following strong recent performances.

Mbappé’s comments came after the match as a direct response to the disappointment.

As captain, he took a leadership role in rallying the squad and fans, acknowledging the “setback” while stressing the need to learn and refocus on upcoming club and international duties.