Kylian Mbappé expressed his gratitude to fans for their unwavering support during the World Cup in a recent social media post. He acknowledged that France’s inability to secure the trophy “hurts, and will hurt for a while.”
As the captain of the team, Mbappé played a significant role in the tournament, earning the Golden Boot with 10 goals across eight matches, despite France being eliminated by Spain in the semifinals.
The Real Madrid forward has now participated in three World Cups, claiming victory in 2018, and facing defeat against Argentina in the 2022 final.
In his Instagram post on Monday, Mbappé shared, “We’re not bringing a collective trophy home. It hurts, and it will hurt for a while. I won’t pretend otherwise. While I’m proud to receive the Golden Boot, it would have meant so much more with the World Cup alongside it. Perhaps we owed you a better ending, but the conclusion isn’t always ours to choose. What we can control is our effort, and we gave it everything we had, which is something to be proud of.”
France entered the tournament as one of the favorites, finishing first in Group I and defeating Sweden, Paraguay, and Morocco in the knockout rounds before losing 2-0 to Spain in the semifinal held in Dallas, Texas.
Mbappé found the net in six of his eight outings, scoring multiple goals against Senegal, Iraq, and England, including a brace in a thrilling 6-4 defeat during the third-place playoff.
Mbappé continued, “Thank you to my teammates. Without their hard work, their runs, and their passes, and the spirit that carried us throughout the entire journey, I wouldn’t have scored so many goals. This accolade belongs to the team just as much as it does to me.”
“As a child, I dreamed of playing in a World Cup—just one. I’ve now competed in three, won one, and had the immense privilege of captaining my country this year. I’ll cherish that forever.”
Following the tournament, France’s coach Didier Deschamps parted ways with the team after a remarkable 14-year tenure.
“I’ve already expressed my gratitude to Didier,” Mbappé said. “He understands. Thanks to him, his entire staff, the physiotherapists, the chefs, the fitness trainers, the drivers, and everyone behind the scenes who goes unnoticed, but without whom none of this would be feasible. And thank you to all those who welcomed and supported us throughout the United States.”
Mbappé will be heading back to training with Real Madrid as they prepare for the upcoming 2026-27 season, while France gears up for the UEFA Nations League matches this autumn, with Zinedine Zidane anticipated to be named Deschamps’ successor.
Mbappé concluded, “This World Cup may be over, but our journey continues. There will be other matches, other summer and winter evenings when we will come together again because of this beautiful game… Our story is far from finished.”