Kylian Mbappé has begun drawing a line under France’s painful World Cup campaign, but he has done so in a highly unusual and carefully controlled manner.
The France captain published an open letter across several national and regional newspapers, thanking supporters while admitting that the failure to bring home the trophy would continue to hurt.
The message was not merely uploaded to his personal social media accounts. Advertising space was purchased in publications including L’Équipe, Le Parisien, Ouest-France, La Provence, La Dépêche du Midi and La Voix du Nord.
According to Le Monde’s report on Mbappé’s post-World Cup campaign, the operation was organised by Patricia Goldman International, the agency responsible for managing the forward’s public image, and cost an estimated €50,000.
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It represents a striking attempt to take control of the narrative before Mbappé returns to Real Madrid and begins working under José Mourinho.
Mbappé admits World Cup failure still hurts
France arrived at the World Cup as one of the leading favourites but finished fourth after consecutive defeats against Spain and England.
Mbappé still produced an exceptional individual tournament. He scored ten goals, won the Golden Boot and became the leading goalscorer in men’s World Cup history with 22 goals from 22 appearances.
However, the France captain made clear that those records could not compensate for the absence of another trophy.
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“We did not bring home a team trophy,” Mbappé wrote.
“That hurts, and it will keep hurting for a while, I won’t lie to you.”
He added that he was proud to finish as the tournament’s leading scorer but admitted the individual prize “would have been so much better with the cup as well”.
Real Madrid confirmed in its official review of Mbappé’s World Cup that he became the first player to win the Golden Boot at two different editions of the tournament.
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An unusual message aimed beyond social media
Purchasing newspaper advertisements to address supporters is relatively uncommon among leading European footballers.
The approach has a longer tradition in American sport, where prominent players have used paid newspaper space to thank cities, supporters or former teams after transfers and retirements.
Mbappé’s campaign included a childhood photograph of him standing in front of an image of Thierry Henry, the full letter, a picture of the striker greeting supporters and a team photograph of France’s World Cup squad.
Le Monde described the operation as a deliberate attempt to reach members of the public who are less active on social media and to allow Mbappé’s representatives to control the wording and presentation completely.
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“You never let us down, even in the toughest moments, even when we deserved it less,” Mbappé wrote.
“We wrote this story with millions of hands, not just 11 on the pitch, all carried by the same passion.”
The campaign therefore served two purposes: thanking French supporters and repositioning Mbappé before another crucial season in Madrid.
No immediate return to Real Madrid
Mbappé remains on holiday after playing eight matches during the World Cup and completing an unusually demanding club and international season.
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He is not expected to participate in Real Madrid’s friendly against Fiorentina in Austria on August 1.
Players eliminated during the World Cup semifinals were scheduled to return to training around August 5, according to Madrid Universal’s report on the club’s staggered preseason plan.
Mbappé should therefore rejoin Aurélien Tchouaméni and Ibrahima Konaté during the final stage of Real Madrid’s preparations.
The club has confirmed through its official announcement of the Fiorentina friendly that Mourinho’s side will play in Klagenfurt on Saturday. Mbappé’s expected return date means that match should come too early for him.
There is currently no public indication that an injury will delay his return. He suffered an ankle knock during the World Cup but remained available and scored twice in France’s final match against England.
Mourinho plans to put Mbappé at the centre
Mbappé will return to a Real Madrid side undergoing another major reconstruction.
Mourinho has replaced Álvaro Arbeloa and has already begun implementing his methods without several players who reached the closing stages of the World Cup.
The Portuguese coach has not yet worked with Mbappé on the training pitch, but he has made his opinion of the Frenchman clear.
“The only thing I can say about Kylian Mbappé is that he’s a phenomenal player, and I’m going to try to help him to be even better than this,” Mourinho said in his first major interview after returning to Real Madrid.
Mourinho said he wanted to observe the players himself rather than reach conclusions based on television coverage or media reports.
“I need to know the players,” he added.
“It’s not time to talk. It’s time to be very calm and to be analysing, to communicate, to ask questions and to answer questions.”
The comments suggest that Mbappé will be given a central role, but not complete freedom from tactical responsibility.
Madrid must solve the attacking balance
Mbappé’s goals were never the principal problem during the previous season.
He scored heavily for Real Madrid and France, yet finished the campaign without a major team trophy. That contrast has become the defining feature of his current situation.
Real Madrid must find a system that allows Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham to perform without leaving the team structurally exposed.
Mourinho’s reputation is built on defensive organisation, tactical discipline and clearly defined roles. His greatest challenge may be convincing Madrid’s attacking stars to accept the work required when the team does not have the ball.
The coach has said he will initially listen rather than criticise, but his history suggests that the expectations will soon become demanding.
Mbappé will enter the relationship as Real Madrid’s leading scorer and France’s captain. Mourinho will enter it as a returning manager under pressure to end the club’s trophy drought.
A new France era also awaits
The changes surrounding Mbappé are not limited to club football.
Didier Deschamps has left the French national team after 14 years, meaning Mbappé will return for the next international window under a new coach.
His open letter included a tribute to Deschamps and the departing technical staff, including coaches, medical personnel, chefs and drivers.
The identity and methods of the new France coach could influence Mbappé’s role as both captain and attacking leader.
He may be asked to play in a different position or accept a revised tactical structure after years in which Deschamps built much of France’s attack around his speed and finishing.
That gives Mbappé two managerial relationships to establish almost simultaneously.
One will determine whether Real Madrid return to the top of Spanish and European football. The other will shape France’s attempt to recover from another disappointing end to a major tournament.
The goals are no longer enough
Mbappé’s statistics remain extraordinary.
He finished as the leading scorer in three major competitions during the season and then broke the World Cup goals record. Yet the year ended without the club or international trophies expected from a player of his status.
His reported €50,000 newspaper campaign shows that his team understands the significance of that contradiction.
The letter thanked supporters and shared credit with his teammates. It also moved the conversation away from another failed title challenge and towards the future.
That future begins under Mourinho in Madrid and under a new coach with France.
Mbappé has already won the battle for goals.
The next stage of his career will be judged almost entirely by whether the trophies finally follow.
