Shearer: Mbappe’s Performance Disappointing, He Should Have Contributed More for the Team

In the wake of France’s defeat by Spain, which saw them miss out on the Euro final, English football legend Alan Shearer harshly criticized France’s attacking display and singled out captain Kylian Mbappe.

Although France took an early lead through Mouani’s header, they ultimately succumbed to goals from Gavi and Olmo, packing their bags for home rather than heading to Berlin for the final. Notably, Mouani’s goal was France’s first open-play goal in this Euro tournament; previously, they had only scored a penalty converted by Mbappe and two own goals gifted by their opponents.

Shearer argued that France’s downfall stemmed from coach Deschamps’ failure to ignite his attackers, singling out Mbappe, as captain and star player, for his underwhelming performance at the Euros. Shearer said, “Mbappe’s contribution to the game has been minimal. We’ve been saying we’re waiting for them to hit form, and in today’s match, an early goal came about. Mbappe delivered a good ball, Mouani truly scored, and we finally thought France was going to ‘get going’.”

However, the course of the game left Shearer feeling bitterly disappointed. He said, “France had the upper hand. I thought scoring early might boost their confidence and see them continue their work in front of goal. Indeed, they found themselves in many promising positions. Dembele was perhaps the most frustrated man today because he made several runs but didn’t receive good passes, leading to nothing happening. It’s really frustrating. I’m feeling frustrated and angry in the studio; imagine how the forwards on the pitch must feel.”