Kylian Mbappé Pens Open Letter to French Fans After 2026 World Cup Exit

One week after the final whistle of the 2026 World Cup, Kylian Mbappé, captain of the French national team, shared an open letter published across major French newspapers. The 27-year-old, who led the tournament in scoring, took a moment to thank his teammates, coach Didier Deschamps’ staff, and fans both at the event in America and watching from home.

“We didn’t bring home the trophy. It hurts and it will continue to hurt for a while, I’m not going to lie to you about that,” Mbappé admitted, reflecting on France’s 2-0 semi-final defeat to Spain, the eventual champions.

The team's campaign concluded with a high-scoring bronze medal match loss to England, ending 6-4. Mbappé acknowledged the disappointment felt by supporters but emphasized the effort poured into the competition. “We don’t always choose the end of the story, we choose what we put into it, and we put everything in it. This is something we are proud of.”

With Didier Deschamps stepping down, Zinédine Zidane is expected to be named the new head coach of Les Bleus as early as Tuesday. Mbappé hinted at a fresh chapter ahead, writing, “This World Cup is over, but the story goes on. There will be other games, other summer or winter evenings where we’ll all come together again in front of this same game, with the same desire intact. We’re not done playing together. Thank you for everything.”