'People will think I'm a hater' - Kylian Mbappe slams referee Michael Oliver after bizarrely grabbing official's watch as France come close to incredible comeback in 5-4 thriller against Spain

In a thrilling Nations League semi-final held in Stuttgart’s MHP Arena, Spain edged out France 5-4 to secure their place in the final against Portugal. La Roja raced to a 4-0 lead through goals from Nico Williams, Mikel Merino, Lamine Yamal and Pedri. France attempted a comeback with a penalty from Mbappe and further goals from Rayan Cherki, a Dani Vivian own goal and one from Randal Kolo Muani, but ultimately fell short.

For the first time since 1969, Les Bleus conceded five goals in a single match. Despite a valiant effort to stage a comeback, Didier Deschamps' side fell short, highlighting issues in defensive organisation and consistency. Spain's victory propels them into the Nations League final, continuing their impressive run under coach Luis de la Fuente.

Post-match, Mbappe expressed his dissatisfaction with the officiating, particularly concerning the amount of stoppage time added. He was seen grabbing referee Michael Oliver's watch, indicating his frustration.

In an interview with TF1, he said: "It was the actual playing time. The problem is a recurring thing. If I talk about it now, people will think I'm a hater, so I don't want to talk about it. When you have five minutes [of added time], you have to play five minutes, it's not just five minutes that go by."

He also reflected on the team's performance: "In the heat of the moment, I'd say we played well, we had some sequences of play that we haven't had for a long time. We were able to keep the ball, have a structure, create a lot of opportunities. The problem is that we had a ten-minute gap in the first half, we lost two minutes. Ten minutes in the second, we conceded two goals. You pay for that in cash in top-level matches, but it's encouraging."

France will now prepare for the third-place playoff against Germany on Sunday. The team aims to regroup and address the issues that led to their semi-final exit, focusing on building consistency and resilience ahead of future competitions.