Mbappe publishes nationwide newspaper message to France after World Cup semi-final exit

Kylian Mbappe has chosen a full-page newspaper message to thank fans across France and express his disappointment, nearly two weeks after the national team’s elimination by Spain in the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup.

The France captain used paid advertising space in multiple newspapers on Monday to share an open letter addressed to the French public, reflecting on a campaign in the United States that he and his team-mates had hoped would end with a third world title for Les Bleus.

Having come agonisingly close to the trophy in 2022, Mbappe made clear that the ambition this time was to “go all the way” and add another star to the France shirt. Instead, the journey ended in the last four against Spain, a defeat that the forward admits is still painful.

In his letter, Mbappe opened with a simple message: “Merci. Un mois d’emotion. De depassement des limites. De fierte a porter les couleurs de la France. De passion, avant tout, la meme qui nous anime sur le terrain et qui vous anime, devant l’ecran comme dans les tribunes.”

He went on to underline how hard the exit has hit the squad: “Ca fait mal et ca continuera a faire mal un moment, je ne vais pas vous mentir la-dessus accepte avec fierte. Ca, nous en sommes fiers.”

Tribute to fans at home and in US stadiums

Mbappe reserved a significant part of his text for the supporters who followed France throughout the tournament, whether from home or in the stadiums on the other side of the Atlantic.

He highlighted those who stayed up deep into the night to watch the matches live from the United States, writing of fans who “veille tard, parfois jusqu’au milieu de la nuit, pour nous regarder jouer de l’autre cote du monde”. Others, he noted, travelled to the World Cup venues, “drapeaux sur les epaules”, to back the team in person.

“You ne nous avez jamais laches, meme dans les mo (…)”, continued Mbappe, acknowledging the constant backing the players felt, including in difficult moments. He described the campaign as “une histoire incroyable” lived collectively with the supporters.

Unusual communication choice

Rather than use television, social media or a formal press conference, Mbappe opted for an open letter printed in regional newspapers across France as well as in L’Equipe, in an apparent effort to reach as wide and diverse an audience as possible.

The Real Madrid forward accompanied his words with three photographs, including a childhood image of himself standing in front of a poster of Thierry Henry, a nod to his long-held dreams with Les Bleus and his connection to previous generations of French internationals.

The message, divided into several sections, touched on themes Mbappe described as especially important to him as a native of Bondy: commitment to the national shirt, the emotional journey of the past month and his sense of responsibility as captain.

Reflection on Golden Boot and missed trophy

Mbappe also addressed his own performances in the tournament, where he scored 10 goals to finish as the World Cup’s leading scorer.

“Le titre de meilleur buteur, je le prends avec fierte, mais c’aurait ete tellement mieux avec la coupe en plus,” he admitted, underlining that the individual accolade felt incomplete without the team prize. “On vous devait peut-etre une plus belle fin. Mais on ne choisit pas toujours la fin de l’histoire, on choisit ce que l’on met dedans, et on a tout mis. De ca, on est fiers.”

Earlier in the letter, he had reiterated that the passion shared between players and fans would outlast the immediate disappointment: “De passion, surtout, la meme qui nous anime sur le terrain et qui vous anime, devant l’ecran comme dans les tribunes. Voila ce qu’on a vecu ensemble, une histoire incroyable. On ne rapporte pas de trophee collectif. Ca fait mal et ca fera encore mal un moment, je ne vais pas vous mentir la-dessus.”

While there was no indication in the text of any future decisions or changes, Mbappe’s choice of a written, widely distributed message underlined his desire to speak directly to the country in the wake of a World Cup that brought intense hope, a run to the semi-finals, but ultimately a sense of unfinished business for France and their captain.