Kylian Mbappé learned on Tuesday just how ruthless American sports fans can be after a big loss.
Despite cruising to the semifinals, France had simply no answer for Spain's exceptional defense. They also couldn't slow down Spain's attack, which generated more than enough chances against Didier Deschamps' squad.
Mbappé, who had yet another strong World Cup run with France, let reporters know that he was not pleased with his team's tactics in the semifinals.
"We were three against two in midfield and against Spain, that's hard," Mbappé said, via ESPN. "Fabian [Ruiz] and Rodri had plenty of time to play. There was a lack of communication on the press. I think we should have done man-to-man press and force them to run with us."
© Tim Heitman-Imagn Images.
While it appears Mbappé placed the blame on France's approach, soccer fans claim the Real Madrid star could've been better against Spain.
Since the France-Spain match was played at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, fans photoshopped Dak Prescott's face onto Mbappé's body. This photo included this straightforward caption: "Kylian Mbappe when it was time to win a playoff game in Dallas."
In less than 24 hours, this meme of Mbappé and Prescott received over a million views on X.
What's next for France?
Now that France has fallen short of its ultimate goal, Mbappé and the rest of the squad will have to settle for a third-place game this Saturday.
France will face the loser of the Argentina-England match that's set for this Wednesday.
The third-place game will be Deschamps' final match as France's manager. According to reports, Zinedine Zidane will replace him later this summer.
