Michael Olise 'blamed himself' and broke down in tears in the dressing room after France were beaten 6-4 in a pulsating World Cup bronze-medal match with England, according to L'Equipe. The Bayern Munich winger missed two gilt-edged chances in the second half as England secured third place in Miami.
Match Overview
The two teams put on a show despite the pain of missing the final, with Declan Rice opening the scoring after only three minutes. Rice turned provider with an assist for Ezri Konsa to double England's lead in the 18th minute, before Bukayo Saka made it four with two stunning goals at the end of a breathless first-half performance from Thomas Tuchel's men.
There was a French fightback after the restart as Kylian Mbappe struck either side of Bradley Barcola's composed 54th-minute finish to become the highest goalscorer in World Cup history with 22 goals, surpassing Lionel Messi. But Olise missed two key chances as Saka completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot, before Ousmane Dembele and Jude Bellingham traded goals at the death.
Olise's Emotional Reaction
Olise, who finished France's campaign without a goal from eight appearances, was left to rue his missed opportunities. He did, however, claim seven assists for Les Bleus – the most from any player in a single World Cup in the last 60 years. According to L'Equipe, he 'broke down in tears' and 'blamed himself' for the loss in the dressing room.
Rabiot's Criticism and Deschamps' Farewell
Speaking after the match, an irate Adrien Rabiot told reporters: 'We started the first half in a rather shameful way. I saw behaviour from some players that I've never seen before.' He added: 'It's a bit disappointing, because it was the last match to do well in this competition.' Rabiot also paid tribute to outgoing head coach Didier Deschamps, saying: 'We would have liked to finish with a victory so that the coach could have a better send-off, but it does not tarnish the image he has with all the French people.'
Deschamps took responsibility for the defeat, stating bluntly: 'It was my mistake. I should have made choices from the start of the match, and perhaps things would have gone better afterward.' He added: 'Obviously, there are some players who could have done better. I wish them all the best.'
