Kylian Mbappé laughed at France's fiasco, experts question behavior: 'Very strange'

Kylian Mbappé's conduct during halftime of France's World Cup bronze medal match against England has sparked widespread bewilderment and criticism. France suffered a heavy 4-6 defeat, but it was Mbappé's actions in the players' tunnel that drew particular attention. Television footage showed the French star laughing and conversing with England coach Thomas Tuchel, who previously managed Mbappé at Paris Saint-Germain. Mbappé was seen holding an England jersey, while Declan Rice, an England player, held a France jersey, suggesting they had exchanged shirts during the break.

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Strange. Very, very strange.

Former England international and football pundit Owen Hargreaves described the scene as "Strange. Very, very strange." Norwegian expert Petter Veland echoed this sentiment on NRK, calling the behavior "shocking" and noting that Mbappé's body language perfectly summarized the team's lackluster performance. "This is truly unusual," Veland stated, highlighting the stark contrast between Mbappé's apparent joviality and France's dismal first-half display, where they trailed 0-4.

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Shocking defending, unwilling, unimaginative. Mbappe sums it all up perfectly with his body language.

This incident occurred shortly after Mbappé posted an emotional farewell message to departing French coach Didier Deschamps on social media. Mbappé had written, "We should have offered you a better ending, but we failed." He expressed his privilege in having worked alongside Deschamps, calling him one of France's greatest legends and cherishing their shared achievements. However, Mbappé's halftime behavior seemed to contradict the somber tone of his tribute.

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This is truly unusual.

Despite the controversy and the team's overall performance, Mbappé achieved a significant individual milestone during the match. He scored two goals in the second half, becoming the men's World Cup all-time leading scorer with 22 goals in as many games, surpassing Lionel Messi. England ultimately secured the 6-4 victory with a late goal from Jude Bellingham.

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We should have offered you a better ending, but we failed. I feel privileged to have stood alongside one of our country's greatest legends. I will only have wonderful memories of everything we have experienced and achieved together.