Kylian Mbappé questioned Didier Deschamps' approach after France's 2-0 defeat to Spain in the FIFA World Cup semifinal, ending their bid for a third consecutive final. "We were three against two in midfield and against Spain, that's hard," Mbappé said, citing Rodri and Fabian Ruiz's control and a lack of communication in France's press. He argued the team should have used a man-to-man press to disrupt Spain's rhythm.

Mbappé finished the tournament with eight goals, tied with Lionel Messi for the Golden Boot lead, but was held scoreless in the semifinal. France never gained a foothold, with Spain dominating after Mikel Oyarzabal's penalty opener. "We didn't play the game we wanted, technically, tactically," Mbappé added, acknowledging sloppy first touches and failure to execute their high-press plan.

Deschamps' second-half substitutions — including Ryan Cherki and Désiré Doué — had no impact. Cherki admitted Spain was better and hungrier. Mbappé, who received a yellow card for colliding with goalkeeper Unai Simón, took full responsibility as captain. France faces the Argentina-England semifinal loser in Saturday's third-place match in Miami Gardens, Florida.