Kylian Mbappé delivered a standout performance as France defeated Germany 2-0 in the UEFA Nations League bronze-medal match in Stuttgart on Sunday.
With a heavily rotated squad, France struggled early as Germany dominated the first half. However, Mbappé broke the deadlock just before halftime with a composed strike through a crowded penalty area — his 50th international goal and first from open play for France in over a year.
Germany pressed hard for an equalizer in the second half, but their aggressive push left them vulnerable. In the 84th minute, Mbappé intercepted a poor pass near the halfway line, surged forward, and set up Michael Olise — who plays domestically for Bayern Munich — to seal the victory.
After the match, Mbappé addressed recent criticism:
“Since I arrived in the international team, everyone always talks about me… when they have an opportunity to talk bad, they talk bad. But I’m OK with that. I just try and do my job.”
Aurelien Tchouameni, Mbappé’s teammate for both France and Real Madrid, praised the captain’s influence, saying:
“When he plays like he did today, it’s just amazing.”
Despite strong possession and several early chances, including a disallowed penalty for Karim Adeyemi and a shot off the post by Florian Wirtz, Germany couldn’t find a breakthrough. A goal by Deniz Undav was ruled out for a foul.
Striker Niclas Füllkrug lamented the missed chances, saying:
“If we had taken our first chance and scored, it could have been three or four nil for us.”
France coach Didier Deschamps made eight changes from the semi-final loss to Spain, while Julian Nagelsmann made four adjustments for Germany, still seeking consistency ahead of future major tournaments.
