Mbappe: ‘My Euro is a Failure’

The French captain Mbappe admitted he did not play well and completely failed at Euro 2024 after France lost 1-2 to Spain in the recent semifinal.

Kylian Mbappe, the captain of the French national team, candidly admitted his and the team’s failure at Euro 2024 following the unfortunate 1-2 loss to Spain in the semifinal. The match in Munich witnessed an impressive comeback by the Spanish team, shattering Les Bleus’ championship dreams.

After the match, Mbappe did not hesitate to express his disappointment. He said, “In football, sometimes you play well or not well. Today I did not play well. My Euro is a failure.”

“I have the ambition to become a European champion. I have the goal of having a successful Euro. But I did not achieve either. It’s really disappointing,” Mbappe said.

Mbappe reflected on his final chance in the match against Spain: “I got past the defender and everything seemed fine. Then I thought I just needed to score or at least get the ball into the net. But then the ball went over the crossbar. That’s the harsh reality of football. 2-1 and we have to go home.”

“We did not do enough to reach the final,” Mbappe told reporters. “They (Spain) played better than us, they deserve to be in the final, and we are going home.”

Mbappe also shared the difficulties he faced during the tournament. After a collision with Austrian defender Kevin Danso in the first match, he had to wear a protective mask for most of the tournament.

French head coach Didier Deschamps admitted Mbappe had “lost form” at Euro 2024 due to a nasal injury. Mbappe acknowledged that the mask affected his performance: “I was fed up with the mask; it affected my performance, and I could not endure it anymore.”

In the semifinal against Spain, Mbappe decided to play without the protective mask. He said: “I talked to the doctor and requested not to use it anymore. He told me to make the decision like a man. So I played without it and do not regret it.”

Mbappe’s performance at Euro 2024 was truly disappointing compared to his display at the 2022 World Cup. While he scored 8 goals out of France’s total of 16 in Qatar, he managed only one goal from the penalty spot at Euro 2024.

Overall, France scored just 4 goals throughout the tournament, a modest number given their potential.

Looking ahead, Mbappe said he will take time to rest and prepare for a new chapter in his career with Real Madrid: “Now I will take a break, rest well, which will help me a lot, and then prepare to start a new chapter in my career. There is still a lot of work to do.”

Despite the failure at Euro 2024, Mbappe remains one of the best players in the world. He won the World Cup with France in 2018 and nearly defended the title in 2022, only losing to Argentina in a penalty shootout in the final.