Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappé has sent an open letter to French regional daily newspapers and to L’Équipe, thanking supporters for backing Les Bleus throughout the tournament.
The letter was published on July 27, a week after the World Cup ended and on the eve of the announcement of the next France manager.
The decision stands out in an era when football stars typically issue polished statements through social media channels.
The text was illustrated with personal photographs, among them a childhood image of Mbappé standing in front of a poster of his idol Thierry Henry, according to Goal.
“A month of emotion, of pushing ourselves beyond our limits, of pride in wearing the colours of France, of passion, above all, the same passion that drives us on the pitch and drives you in front of your screens and in the stands. That is what we experienced together, an incredible story,” he wrote.
He added: “It hurts, and it will hurt for a while, I am not going to lie to you about that.”
🚨🇫🇷 Kylian Mbappé writes a letter to France NT fans after the World Cup:
“THANK YOU.
One month of emotion. Of going beyond limits. Of pride in wearing the colors of France.
Of passion, above all, the same one that drives us on the field and that drives you, in front of the… pic.twitter.com/jccXxpoaEN
— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) July 27, 2026
France’s campaign ended without lifting the trophy, despite entering the tournament among the favourites. Les Bleus lost 2-0 to Spain in the semi-finals and then 6-4 to England in the third-place play-off, finishing fourth.
Spain went on to beat Argentina 1-0 in the final on July 19, taking the title for the first time in the 23rd edition of the competition, staged in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
While Mbappé claimed the Golden Boot as the World Cup’s leading scorer, the 27-year-old admitted the individual achievement could not erase the disappointment of falling short.
He finished with 10 goals in eight matches, two ahead of Lionel Messi, scoring twice against Senegal, Iraq, Sweden and England and once each against Paraguay and Morocco. No player had previously taken the Golden Boot at two World Cups, and none had reached double figures in a single edition since Gerd Müller in 1970.
His team-mate Michael Olise finished as the tournament’s leading provider with seven assists, a record for one edition.
“I accept it with pride,” he wrote of the scoring title, “even though it would have been so much better with the trophy as well.”
He acknowledged the frustration felt by supporters, adding: “Perhaps we owed you a better ending. But you don’t always choose how a story ends, you choose what you put into it, and we gave everything.”
Mbappé also wrote that he had dreamed as a child of playing in a single World Cup, that he had now played in three and won one, and that captaining the side in this one was something he would not forget. He thanked the hosts who received the squad in the United States.
The letter also served as a tribute to outgoing France manager Didier Deschamps, whose tenure comes to an end after 14 years in charge of the national team.
Mbappé thanked not only Deschamps but also the behind-the-scenes staff who rarely receive public recognition.
“I’ve already said what I had to say to him, he knows it,” Mbappé wrote. “Thank you to him, his staff, the physiotherapists, cooks, fitness coaches, drivers and everyone nobody ever sees, without whom none of this would be possible.”
Deschamps, appointed in July 2012, leaves office as one of the most successful managers in French football history, with the 2018 World Cup title, the 2022 final and the Euro 2016 final on his record. The play-off defeat by England was his last match in charge. He was paid €3.8 million a year.
The letter signalled that the captain already has his sights set on the next campaign, most likely under Zinédine Zidane, who is expected to become the next manager of the national team.
French Football Federation (FFF) President Philippe Diallo said he would present the next France manager to the media at a press conference at the federation’s headquarters at 11am on July 28. The statement did not name Zidane.
Zidane, 54, has been without a club since leaving Real Madrid in May 2021 and has said in public that he wants the job. French media reported he would sign until 2030, take up the post on September 1 and begin with an away fixture against Turkey on September 25.
“This World Cup is over, but our story continues,” Mbappé wrote. “There will be other matches, other summer and winter evenings when we will all come together around the same game with the same desire intact… Thank you for everything.”
