"Needs to get ready for the Olympics, 100m race is his thing" - Fans slam Kylian Mbappe's performance in France's Euro 2024 S/F loss
Fans on social media were left disappointed with Kylian Mbappe's performance after France's 1-2 loss to Spain in the Euro 2024 semi-final on Tuesday (July 9). Although he bagged an assist in the game, the 25-year-old was far from his best.
In the eighth minute, Mbappe was on the left side of the Spanish penalty box and received the ball to skillfully deliver a cross to Randal Kolo Muani, located right in front of the net. The Frenchman beautifully set up the goal as Muani headed it beyond the hands of Unai Simon into the net, giving France an early lead.
However, Les Blues' hopes were dashed soon as two goals from Spain, courtesy of Lamine Yamal (21') and Dani Olmo (25'), put them in the lead before the end of the first half. The French could not make a comeback in the game, with Spain sealing a Euro 2024 final spot.
Fans took to X to criticize Kylian Mbappe's performance. Here are some of the reactions:
"Barcola >>>>> Mbappe. Y'all got fleeced @realmadriden," a fan said.
"madrid got the washed version of mbappe," another fan joked.
"Mbappe was honestly non-existent in this tourney," another user added.
"Bradley Barcola > Mbappe," a netizen commented.
"Mbappe struggled with a 38 yo Jesus Navas who dropped toright back because he doesn’t have the pace to be a winger anymore," another user wrote.
Kylian Mbappe's performance for France in the Euro 2024 has been underwhelming, as per his standard. He scored only one goal from a penalty kick against Poland in the group stage and set up two more in five games. He was unable to find his groove, leading to criticism from fans and pundits alike.
Kylian Mbappe opens up after France's 1-2 loss to Spain in Euro 2024 semi-final
Speaking in the post-match press conference, Kylian Mbappe opened up about his feelings, saying Euro 2024 was a "failure" for him. The forward sounded dejected as he said he was not good in the tournament.
"My EUROs was a failure. In football, you’re either good or not good. I wasn’t good,” the Frenchman said (via Madrid Xtra's X handle).
Kylian Mbappe's Euro 2024 campaign did not start on a good note. In France's opening match against Austria, he broke his nose after colliding with Austrian defender Kevin Danso and left the pitch bleeding.
The Frenchman had to wear a protective black mask for the next few games. He mentioned a few times that the mask was obstructing his vision. It could have been one of the reasons why Kylian Mbappe was unable to perform at his best in the Euro 2024.
Mbappe scored only one goal from the penalty spot against Poland in the group stages and was unable to find the net in the knockouts. He played his first game without the mask against Spain in the semi-finals.
Despite setting up Kolo Muani's goal against Spain, the 25-year-old could not help France reach the final. Mbappe will now focus on the upcoming season and pre-season training with his new club, Real Madrid.