Kylian Mbappé has broken his silence following France’s painful conclusion to the 2026 World Cup, publishing an emotional open letter in which he thanked supporters and admitted that the disappointment will remain with him.
The message appeared in advertising space across several French newspapers on Monday morning, more than a week after Les Bleus ended the tournament with consecutive defeats against Spain and England.
Rather than celebrating his own historic achievements, Mbappé focused on the trophy France failed to bring home and the supporters who remained behind the team during a turbulent campaign.
According to L’Équipe’s report on Mbappé’s open letter, the message was distributed through paid advertising space in several publications rather than through a conventional interview or press conference.
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Mbappé admits the pain remains
France entered the tournament among the favourites and reached the semifinals, but their campaign unravelled during its final days.
Spain defeated Didier Deschamps’ side 2-0 in Dallas before England prevailed 6-4 in an extraordinary third-place play-off. Those results left France fourth despite possessing the most prolific attack at the tournament.
Mbappé did not attempt to disguise his disappointment.
“It hurts, and it will hurt for a while,” the France captain wrote.
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The forward acknowledged that his individual success would have carried considerably greater meaning had France lifted the trophy. He suggested the team might have owed its supporters a better ending, while insisting the players had given everything available to them.
The letter was not framed as an excuse for the defeats. Instead, Mbappé attempted to separate the disappointment of the final result from his pride in representing France and leading the team as captain.
A historic tournament without the trophy
Mbappé’s frustration is sharpened by the extraordinary numbers he produced in North America.
According to FIFA’s official overview of the tournament awards, the 27-year-old scored ten goals in eight appearances and claimed the Golden Boot for the second consecutive World Cup. He also received the Bronze Ball as the competition’s third-best player.
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Those ten goals took Mbappé to 22 across three World Cups, moving him ahead of Lionel Messi and Miroslav Klose as the leading scorer in the history of the men’s tournament.
He reached that total in only 22 appearances. Messi has 21 goals from 34 World Cup matches, while former Germany striker Klose scored 16 in 24.
Mbappé also became France’s most experienced World Cup player during the semifinal against Spain, overtaking former captain Hugo Lloris.
Yet none of those records could compensate for another missed opportunity to win the trophy. France lifted the World Cup in Mbappé’s first appearance in 2018 but lost the 2022 final to Argentina before falling short of the showpiece match entirely in 2026.
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France captain thanks the supporters
A substantial part of the letter was directed towards French supporters who followed the team from Europe despite the difficult kick-off times in North America.
Mbappé referred to fans watching from homes, cafés and public gatherings, as well as those who travelled across the Atlantic and filled stadiums with French flags.
“You never let us down, even in the hardest moments, even when we deserved it less,” he wrote.
The wording was significant after a tournament in which Mbappé and France were not always universally praised at home. Questions had been raised about the team’s balance, defensive vulnerability and dependence on individual attacking quality.
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France scored 20 goals but conceded ten, including six during the defeat to England. The contrast between their attacking power and defensive instability ultimately defined the campaign.
As described by FIFA’s review of France’s World Cup, Deschamps left the national team with the most prolific French side of his 14-year tenure, but also one that finished outside the top three.
A final message to Deschamps
Mbappé also thanked his teammates and the staff members who worked behind the scenes throughout the competition.
He credited the movement, passing and sacrifice of his fellow players for making his ten-goal campaign possible, describing the Golden Boot as a collective achievement rather than a personal one.
Special recognition was given to physiotherapists, fitness coaches, chefs, drivers and other employees whose work is rarely visible to the public.
His message to Deschamps was notably brief. Mbappé explained that he had already said what he needed to say privately to the departing coach.
Deschamps stepped down after the tournament, bringing an end to a tenure that began in 2012. He led France to the 2018 World Cup title, the 2022 final and the semifinals in 2026, while also winning the Nations League in 2021.
The identity of his successor will shape the next stage of Mbappé’s international career, with Zinedine Zidane widely regarded as the leading candidate for the position.
Mourinho now awaits him in Madrid
Mbappé is currently away from club football following the World Cup but is expected to return to Real Madrid’s preparations under José Mourinho.
As reported in Goal’s account of the letter, the striker remains on holiday before beginning work with the Portuguese coach ahead of the new season.
His recovery period will be closely managed after a demanding season in which he carried significant responsibility for both club and country.
Mourinho will inherit a player who returns to Madrid with another Golden Boot and a place in football history, but also with the emotional weight of a World Cup that ended very differently from how France had imagined.
Mbappé concluded his message by looking beyond the disappointment and towards the matches still to come.
The records will remain. The pain will take longer to disappear.
