Mbappé, devastated after England madness: 'We were completely dazed'

France concluded their 2026 World Cup campaign with a stunning 4-6 defeat against England in the third-place playoff, a match marked by a disastrous first half for "Les Bleus." The team found themselves trailing 0-4 by halftime, a deficit that captain Kylian Mbappé described as a state of being "completely dazed."

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There were two completely different halves. In the first half, I can understand those who say it was a mockery, that we didn't respect the team's jersey. I would rather say that we were human. Unfortunately, we were completely dazed. They brought us back to reality well.

Despite the abysmal first 45 minutes, which Mbappé conceded could be seen as disrespectful to the national jersey, he insisted the team was merely "human" and disoriented. The second half saw a significant shift in attitude, with France scoring four goals. "We became high-level players again," Mbappé stated, describing the team's second-half performance as that of "mental machines without feelings."

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In the second half, we became high-level players again, mental machines that no longer have feelings. We managed to do what we know how to do. We won the second half, but, in the end, we didn't win the match.

However, the resurgence was not enough to overcome the early deficit, and the match ended in a loss, denying them a podium finish. The defeat was particularly poignant as it was the final game for long-serving coach Didier Deschamps, who led France for 14 years, transforming them into a global football powerhouse.

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It's an even greater shame for the coach. We wanted to do something for him, but unfortunately, the first half gave the impression that we let him down. This is not the message we wanted to send.

Mbappé expressed regret that the team could not secure a victory for Deschamps in his last match. "It's an even greater shame for the coach. We wanted to do something for him, but unfortunately, the first half gave the impression that we let him down," he said. He emphasized that the loss should not tarnish Deschamps' legacy, stating, "This match will not tarnish the legend of Didier Deschamps."

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That's football. We want to thank the coach for everything he has done. This match will not tarnish the legend of Didier Deschamps.