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It was an extraordinary third-place clash at the FIFA World Cup, but France once again came up short, losing 4-6 to England. Even Kylian Mbappé’s brilliance and goals could not prevent the setback.

Despite the defeat, Mbappé’s two goals propelled him past Lionel Messi, making him the all-time leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history with 21 goals. However, the French captain acknowledged that Messi could reclaim the top spot if he nets three times in Argentina’s final against Spain, scheduled for 9 p.m.

Mbappé was realistic and humble about the situation. “I would rather not be the top scorer and play in the final tomorrow. I don’t care about being top scorer. Messi will score tomorrow. He always does,” he said following the match. He also expressed admiration for his long-time rival, adding that he hoped Messi would deliver another memorable performance because “he deserves it.”

By scoring twice, Mbappé not only strengthened his scoring record but also etched his name into World Cup history once again. He became only the fourth player ever to reach double digits in goals during a single World Cup campaign, amassing ten goals this tournament. The last person to achieve that feat was Gerd Müller, who struck ten times in the 1970 World Cup—56 years ago.

However, these personal milestones could not mask France’s disappointment. The team had to settle for fourth place, marking their weakest World Cup result since Mbappé’s international debut in 2017.

What seemed to hurt Mbappé the most was the inability to give outgoing coach Didier Deschamps a winning send-off. “We wanted to win this match for him. But unfortunately, in the first half it felt like we had let him down. We wanted to thank him for everything he has done, but this game will not damage Didier Deschamps’ legacy,” Mbappé said after the final whistle.

Reflecting on the team’s first-half performance, Mbappé acknowledged the criticism. “I can understand if people say we didn’t respect the shirt. But I would rather say that we were human. Unfortunately, we were completely off our game. They gave us a real wake-up call. In the second half, we became top players again—mental machines that no longer allow any emotions. We managed to play our game. We won that second half, but in the end we didn’t win the match.”

Looking ahead, France will aim to come back stronger in four years. Reports suggest that Zinédine Zidane could be leading the national team by then, signalling a new chapter for Les Bleus.

📸 ROBERTO SCHMIDT - AFP or licensors