Kylian Mbappe learned the hard way that American sports fans don't mess around after a big loss. Following France's 2-0 defeat to Spain in the World Cup semifinals, the Real Madrid star got a brutal dose of social media trolling — complete with a Dak Prescott joke that went viral.
The match took place at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, which gave fans the perfect setup. Within hours, a meme surfaced showing Prescott's face Photoshopped onto Mbappe's body with the caption: "Kylian Mbappe when it was time to win a playoff game in Dallas." The post racked up over a million views on X in less than 24 hours.
Mbappe, who had another strong World Cup run overall, didn't hold back in his post-match comments. He criticized France's tactics, saying the midfield was outnumbered and that Spain's Rodri and Fabian Ruiz had too much time on the ball. "We were three against two in midfield and against Spain, that's hard," Mbappe told reporters. "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."
While Mbappe pointed to strategy, soccer fans argued he could have done more individually against Spain's stingy defense. The loss ended France's hopes of back-to-back World Cup titles and set up a third-place match this Saturday against the loser of the Argentina-England clash.
That game will also mark the end of an era: Didier Deschamps will coach his final match for France, with reports confirming Zinedine Zidane will take over later this summer. The transition adds extra emotion to an already disappointing exit for Les Bleus.
The Prescott comparison stings for a reason. The Cowboys quarterback has faced endless criticism for his playoff performances in Arlington, and the parallel to Mbappe's high-profile loss in the same stadium was too tempting for fans to ignore. Some have even pointed to controversial officiating decisions in the match as adding fuel to the fire.
France's exit also sparked broader debates about the tournament's future, with some calling for the U.S. to be stripped of future World Cups — though that seems unlikely given the massive investment already in place.
For now, Mbappe has to shake off the jokes and focus on the bronze medal game. But the image of him — or rather, Prescott's face on his body — will linger as one of the more memorable memes of this World Cup.
