Kylian Mbappe offered a blunt assessment of France’s World Cup semifinal exit Tuesday, saying his team was too “sloppy” to keep Spain from controlling a 2-0 victory in Arlington, Texas.

The France captain pointed to breakdowns in both the game plan and its execution after Les Bleus were denied a third consecutive appearance in the World Cup final. Spain consistently created an extra man in midfield, leaving Rodri and Fabian Ruiz with the time and space to dictate possession.

“We were three against two in midfield and against Spain, that’s hard,” Mbappe said. “Fabian and Rodri had plenty of time to play. There was a lack of communication on the press. I think we should have done man-to-man press and force them to run with us.”

France entered the semifinal having won its first six matches and scored 16 goals, but struggled to establish its attack against Spain. Mikel Oyarzabal converted a penalty in the 22nd minute after Lucas Digne fouled Lamine Yamal, and Pedro Porro doubled the advantage shortly before the hour mark.

Mbappe said France’s plan had been to apply pressure high up the field and prevent Spain from settling into its preferred possession game. Instead, Spain regularly played through the press and quickly recovered the ball whenever France briefly regained it.

“We didn’t play the game we wanted, technically, tactically,” Mbappe said. “When you don’t do what you have to do in a World Cup semifinal, you don’t win.”

The Real Madrid forward also criticized France’s work with the ball, saying poor first touches and missed opportunities prevented his team from testing Spain when openings appeared.

“We were too sloppy technically,” Mbappe said. “We could not hurt them when we could have.”

Didier Deschamps tried to shift the match by removing Adrien Rabiot at halftime and later introducing Desire Doue and Rayan Cherki. The changes did little to disrupt Spain’s control, and Mbappe was held scoreless after entering the match with eight tournament goals.

He remains tied with Argentina’s Lionel Messi for the Golden Boot lead. Mbappe also scored eight goals at the 2022 World Cup, when France lost the final to Argentina in a penalty shootout.

“As the captain, I have to take all the responsibility and I have no problem with that,” Mbappe said. “We wanted to go to the final. We didn’t go.”

France will face the loser of Wednesday’s Argentina-England semifinal in Saturday’s third-place match in Miami Gardens, Fla.

–Field Level Media

Paulo Diaz, a defender for the Chile international team and formerly River Plate, signed with Atlanta United on Tuesday.

Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed, but his contract lasts through the 2027-28 MLS season with options for each of the following two seasons.

It’s a free transfer for Atlanta after Diaz’s contract expired with River Plate, a top club in Argentina that competed at last year’s FIFA Club World Cup.

Diaz has collected 27 goals and 11 assists in 364 club matches across all competitions. He previously played for the Saudi Pro League’s Al-Ahli (2018-19) and Argentina’s San Lorenzo (2016-18).

For Chile, he has earned 56 caps and scored one goal.

“Paulo is a player who will bring toughness, competition and a winning mentality to our group,” Atlanta chief soccer officer and sporting director Chris Henderson said in a statement.

“He’s a center back who has a good feel for the game and understands the moments to be aggressive or hold the line defensively. He brings great experience at the club and international level and fits the style that we want to play at Atlanta United. We’re excited to welcome him to Atlanta.”

Atlanta United (3-9-2, 11 points) previously signed Paraguayan defender Junior Alonso during this transfer window.

–Field Level Media

The NFL suspended Dallas Cowboys defensive end Charles Snowden for the first three games of the 2026 regular season on Tuesday.

NFL Network reported the suspension is related to a violation of the league’s personal conduct policy.

Snowden, now 28, was arrested while a member of the Las Vegas Raiders in December 2024 and charged with driving under the influence, a misdemeanor as a first-time offender. Las Vegas police said his blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit after he was found asleep in his SUV.

He initially pled not guilty, but in January entered a no-contest plea. He was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and attend coroner’s and DUI courses. The charge will be reduced to reckless driving on the condition that he completes his plea agreement.

Snowden played 15 games with nine starts at defensive end for the Raiders last season, making 28 tackles with three sacks, five tackles for loss, two passes defended and one interception.

He has career totals of 67 tackles, 4.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss, six passes defended and one interception in 33 games (18 starts) for the Chicago Bears (two games in 2021) and Raiders (2024-25). He also spent time in 2022 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ practice squad.

Snowden was waived by the Raiders in May and signed a one-year, $1.1 million contract with the Cowboys on June 18.

He is allowed to participate in all preseason activities, including training camp and games, with the suspension taking effect when rosters reduce to 53 players.

The Cowboys open the season Sept. 13 with a visit to the New York Giants, followed by a home game on Sept. 20 against the Washington Commanders and a Sept. 27 clash with the Baltimore Ravens in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

–Field Level Media