After Les Bleus’ World Cup disappointment, Mbappé has sent a heartfelt message to France
In an open letter posted on social media on Monday, France superstar Kylian Mbappé spoke of the “hurt” he feels at failing to win the World Cup.
Kylian Mbappé could hardly have done more for France at the 2026 World Cup. Having scored 10 goals in North America, the French superstar finished the tournament as its leading scorer, despite Les Bleus falling in the semifinals to the eventual champions, Luis de la Fuente’s Spain.
In an open letter published on social media on Monday, the Real Madrid star thanked French supporters for their unwavering backing throughout the tournament. Though he did not hide his disappointment, he made it clear that France’s ambitions remain as strong as ever: “This World Cup has come to an end, but the story goes on.”
“It hurts, and it will hurt for a while”
Mbappé addressed the nation with a message centered on unity. His statement expressed gratitude to his teammates, the fans, and Didier Deschamps. Particularly noteworthy were his comments regarding the now former head coach of the two-time world champions. “I’ve already said to Didier what I needed to say. He knows,” Mbappé wrote. He also offered heartfelt thanks to the coaching staff and every member of the French Soccer Federation. Above all, however, his words reflected the deep frustration of having fallen short in the quest to bring the World Cup trophy back home.
The defeat against Spain was a crushing blow for the French national team. The eventual champions’ dynamic, high-level soccer overwhelmed a squad packed with world-class talent. “It hurts, and it will hurt for a while. I won’t pretend otherwise,” Mbappé admitted. Even so, he is already looking ahead, speaking with genuine passion about the challenges to come: “There will be other matches, other nights in summer and in winter nights when we’ll all come together again over this same game, with the same undiminished excitement.”
In full - Mbappé’s open letter to France:
“A month of emotion. Of pushing beyond our limits. Of pride in wearing the colors of France. And above all, of passion: the same passion that drives us on the pitch and that drives you, whether you were watching from home or cheering in the stands. That’s what we experienced together. An incredible story.
“We’re not bringing a collective trophy home. It hurts, and it will hurt for a while. I won’t pretend otherwise. I’m proud to have won the Golden Boot, but it would have meant far more with the World Cup beside it. Maybe we owed you a better ending. But we don’t always get to choose how the story ends. We do get to choose what we put into it, and we gave it everything. That much we can be proud of.
“Thank you to my teammates. Without their work, their runs, their passes, without the spirit that carried us from the first match to the last, I could never have scored so many goals. This award belongs to the team as much as it belongs to me.
“As a kid, I dreamed of playing in a World Cup. Just one. I’ve now played in three, won one, and this year I’ve had the immense of honor of captaining my country. I will never forget it.
“So many of you stayed up late, some of you deep into the night, to watch us play an ocean away. You gathered at home, in bars, with family and fiends, in France and far beyond it. Others were there with us in the stadiums, draped in the French flag. Children with stars in their eyes. Men and women of every background and every generation, united by the simple joy of sharing the moment.
“And you never stopped believing in us. Not in the hardest moments. Not even when we deserved it leats. This story was written by millions of hands, not just by the eleven on the field, all of them carried by the same passion.
“I’ve already said to Didier what I needed to say. He knows. Thank you to him, his entire staff, to the physios, the chefs, the fitness coaches, the drivers, and to everyone working behind the scenes whom no one ever sees and without whom none of this would have been possible. And thank you to everyone who welcomed us and supported us across the Untied States.
“At its heart, football is still a game. A game we take very seriously, one we spend a lifetime trying to master, but a game all the same, and it still comes down to what it came down to when we first started playing: a ball, a goal, and the desire to score. That’s why it brings us together the way it does.
“The World Cup has come to an end, but the story goes on. There will be other matches, other nights in summer and in winter when we’ll all come together again over this same game, with the same undiminished excitement. Our journey together is far from over.”
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