Kylian Mbappe, the World Cup winner and Real Madrid's new signing, has candidly admitted that his Euro 2024 campaign was a "failure."
"My ambition was to be champion of Europe - but it was a failure," he bluntly stated.
Despite his impressive World Cup record, Mbappe struggled to make an impact in Germany, leading to France's semi-final exit against Spain.
"Mbappe delivered a wonderful ball - but that was the only bit of quality in the final third that France showed," Rio Ferdinand noted.
"That is not enough in a game of this magnitude. Mbappe will be disappointed with his tournament. This is not what we have come to expect."
Mbappe's injury and mask issues, combined with France's overall lack of creativity and quality in the final third, contributed to his disappointing tournament.
Asked if the injury had held him back, the 25-year-old simply said: "It was everything.
"You shouldn't overcomplicate it, it was either good or it was not. Voila, I was not good and we are going home. It's simple."
Manager Didier Deschamps acknowledged that Mbappe's mask was an issue but downplayed its impact.
"I am not going to give the responsibility to one player more than another," he said.
"When you get to the semi-finals and play a Spain team of that quality, you have to be at your best, and we were not."
So what next for Mbappe?
After winning the league title seven times in France with Monaco and Paris St-Germain, he will be aiming to add the Champions League next season after his move to Madrid, where he will form an eye-catching attacking line-up with Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo.
"I'll be going on holiday," he said. "I will rest, which will do me good, and then I'll come back very strong in a new town with a new boss."
