During halftime of the match where France was trailing 4-0, Kylian Mbappe appeared notably relaxed, smiling and discussing with England’s coach, Thomas Tuchel. Earlier, he had exchanged jerseys with Declan Rice, holding the English player’s shirt as he chatted with Tuchel in the tunnel leading to the locker rooms.
This moment, which was captured and broadcasted by various media outlets, quickly went viral on social media, frustrating many French fans. Owen Hargreaves, a former England international, commented on American channel Fox Sports, expressing his disbelief, stating, “Strange. Very, very strange.”
However, Mbappe responded to the criticism by igniting France’s performance right after the break. He scored in the 46th minute, reducing the deficit to 1-4, and added another in the 66th minute, making it 3-4. Barcola (54th minute) and Dembele (90+6 minute) contributed to the comeback goals for “Les Bleus.”
Kylian Mbappe Reflects on First-Half Struggles
Becoming the top scorer of the 2026 World Cup with 22 goals, Mbappe acknowledged after the match that he and his teammates did not showcase their best attitude in the first half. “I can understand those who say it was disrespectful, that we did not respect the jersey. I would rather say we were human. Unfortunately, we were completely down. The English woke us up very well. In the second half, we returned to being high-level players, mental machines that ensure we have no feelings. We managed to do what we know best. To win that second half, but in the end, we still did not win,” he stated.
Mbappe expressed regret for not performing better for their coach, explaining, “We wanted to do something for him, but sadly, the first half gives the impression we abandoned him. However, that was not our intention. This is football; we want to thank the coach for everything he has done. This match will not tarnish Didier Deschamps’s legacy,” Mbappe assured.
