'Fabian Ruiz & Rodri had plenty of time!' - Kylian Mbappe publicly criticises Didier Deschamps' tactics after Spain beat 'sloppy' France to reach World Cup final

France’s dreams of reaching a third consecutive World Cup final were extinguished in Texas as a superior Spain side controlled the tempo from start to finish. Mbappe, who had been the tournament’s standout performer alongside Lionel Messi, cut a frustrated figure throughout the 90 minutes. After the final whistle, the Real Madrid superstar pointed the finger at the tactical setup that allowed La Roja midfielders to dictate play.

"We were three against two in midfield and against Spain, that's hard," Mbappe said after the game. "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."

While Mbappe focused on the tactical shortcomings, he was also honest about the technical failures within the squad. France were unusually wasteful in possession and failed to register a single shot on target for the first 80 minutes of the match. The deadlock was broken on the 22nd minute when Lucas Digne conceded a penalty for a foul on Lamine Yamal, which Mikel Oyarzabal converted, before Pedro Porro added a second just before the hour mark.

"We didn't play the game we wanted, technically, tactically," Mbappe admitted. "When you don't do what you have to do in a World Cup semifinal, you don't win. Spain respected their game plan and what the team usually does. They like to control the ball and the tempo. Our plan was to press them high so they could not install their rhythm.

"Because they are better than us at controlling a game. We didn't manage to do it. We were too sloppy technically. We could not hurt them when we could have. Even when we recovered the ball, our first touches were not good enough. That gives a defeat."

Mbappe wasn't the only member of the squad to express bewilderment at the performance. Rayan Cherki, who was introduced as a second-half substitute in an attempt to spark a comeback, echoed his captain's sentiments regarding France's lack of hunger on the big stage. The Manchester City playmaker felt that despite the talent available to Deschamps, the team simply failed to show up in any meaningful way.

"I don't know what to say. They were better than us in every part of the game, and they were hungrier than us I think," Cherki said. "It is sad because I still believe that we are a better team than them, but this afternoon Spain has been better than us. Even in an off day, we have to be a bit better technically, tactically, in the desire.

"In so many ways, France was missing everything today. Truly, everything was missing today. We'll be back in four years, and we won't make the same mistakes."

The tension on the pitch was evident as the clock ticked down, culminating in Mbappe receiving a yellow card in the 86th minute for a late collision with Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon. Despite his frustrations with the coaching and the collective performance, the 27-year-old acknowledged that as the leader of the group, he must carry the weight of the exit. France must now regroup for a third-place play-off in Miami Gardens, a far cry from the glory they had anticipated.

"It is a huge disappointment. But if we are objective, we didn't put all the ingredients to go to the final," Mbappe concluded. "As the captain, I have to take all the responsibility and I have no problem with that. We wanted to go to the final. We didn't go." It marks a sour end for Deschamps, who saw his side outclassed by a Spanish team that has now beaten them three times in succession.