Kylian Mbappe said France's World Cup semifinal exit will hurt for a long time, despite winning the Golden Boot and becoming the tournament's all-time leading goal-scorer.
Key Points
- Kylian Mbappe said France's World Cup semi-final exit will continue to hurt despite his record-breaking tournament.
- The France captain thanked supporters worldwide for their constant backing throughout the competition.
- Mbappe said winning the Golden Boot was a proud achievement but admitted it could not make up for missing out on the World Cup title.
- He also paid tribute to his teammates, outgoing coach Didier Deschamps and the support staff, saying football's shared passion continues to unite people.
Kylian Mbappe has admitted France's failure to win the FIFA World Cup 2026 will "hurt for a while", despite finishing as the tournament's top scorer and becoming the competition's all-time leading goal-scorer.
France's campaign ended with a 0-2 semifinal defeat to Spain before a 4-6 loss to England in the third-place play-off. Mbappe scored 10 goals during the tournament to take his overall World Cup tally to 22, moving past Lionel Messi.
Mbappe Thanks Fans for Unwavering Support
In a heartfelt letter published in the regional French press on Monday, Mbappe thanked fans for their unwavering support and reflected on France's campaign, saying the team gave everything despite falling short of lifting the trophy.
"We did not bring home a team trophy. It hurts, and it will continue to hurt for a while. I am not going to lie to you about that," Mbappe wrote.
The France captain paid tribute to supporters across the world who stayed awake through different time zones, watched matches with family and friends, and filled stadiums with French colours.
"You stayed up late, sometimes until the dead of night, to watch us play on the other side of the world," he wrote. "You never gave up on us, even in the toughest moments. This story was written by millions of hands, not just the eleven on the field."
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'We Owed You a Better Ending'
Although proud of winning the Golden Boot, Mbappe said the individual honour could not replace the disappointment of missing out on the World Cup title.
"I take the title of top scorer with pride, but it would have been so much better with the cup as well. Perhaps we owed you a better ending. But we do not always choose the ending of the story. We choose what we put into it, and we put everything into it."
Mbappe also thanked his teammates, saying his goals would not have been possible without their work, commitment and team spirit.
"This title belongs as much to the team as it does to me," he said, while reflecting on his journey from winning the World Cup in 2018 to captaining France at the 2026 tournament.
Tribute to Teammates, Deschamps
The 27-year-old also thanked outgoing France coach Didier Deschamps, whose final tournament in charge ended in the semi-finals, as well as the backroom staff and everyone who supported the squad during the competition in the United States.
Mbappe ended his message by saying football continues to unite people because of its simplicity and shared passion.
"Football, at its core, remains a game... with its simple rules that have not changed: ball, goal, desire to score. That is why it brings us all together with the same passion."
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Source: Rediff.com
