In the loneliest of all moments, Kylian Mbappé remembered the great Zinedine Zidane.

With his head bowed, his eyes nowhere, the 22-year-old left the interior of the Arena Nationala, where others were celebrating.

As once on Zidane after his dismissal in the lost 2006 World Cup final, the pain of the football-mad French weighed on him alone.

“I wanted to help the team, but I failed,” wrote Mbappé on social media late in the night after the world champions beat Switzerland in the thrilling round of 16 in Bucharest.

Mbappé, of all people. In the French star ensemble, which was the big favorite in the tournament, the Parisian stands out once again. In the penalty shoot-out on Monday evening after 120 grueling minutes, it was only logical that the winger, who is set to become a world footballer, would be the last French shooter. It failed to the Swiss Bundesliga goalkeeper Yann Sommer, France lost 4-5 (3: 3, 3: 3, 0: 1) from the point. The “disillusionment of the Mbappé”, wrote the French specialist magazine “L'Équipe”. It can go that fast.

Coach Didier Deschamps, who became world champion with Zidane in 1998 and European champion in 2000, had hesitantly tried to comfort Mbappé with his difficult walk from the grass.

“Of course he knows about his responsibility,” Deschamps reported during the press conference.

“He wanted to take that penalty.” The 52-year-old immediately rejected the first questions after a break in the team: “No, no, no.

The team is united.

It is a unique team, today they are on the ground - but united. "

"It is my responsibility"

Nevertheless, the "slap in the face" in the round of 16 (Le Parisien), especially since France had meanwhile led 3-1, raises questions. After the 1-0 win in the first group game against Germany, the world champions no longer dominated this tournament as usual. Deschamps had done a lot right, among other things because he had brought Karim Benzema, who scored twice against Switzerland, back to the Equipe Tricolore after six years. Benzema, Mbappé, Antoine Griezmann, behind them Paul Pogba, N'Golo Kanté - of course the French were the big favorites. After the Germany game, however, there were only two draws against Hungary and Portugal - and then the end.

"If France wins, we're the best in the world, and if we lose, it's my responsibility," said Deschamps, who had a battle of words with Bayern professional Kingsley Coman, who was replaced a little later, during the extra time.

Is it still right in the team?

At least Deschamp's words didn't sound like resignation.

The broadcaster RMC said: “One thing is clear.

Association president Noël Le Graët will not dismiss Didier Deschamps.

That's impossible.

But does Deschamps even want to continue? ”The former Bayern professional Willy Sagnol criticized the tactic change:“ That was fatal. ”And for France's minister responsible for sport, Roxana Maracineanu, the whole evening was“ hard, terribly hard ”.

The Deschamps debate is likely to get louder in the coming days. However - it won't be that far until the World Cup in Qatar in November 2022. “This moment hurts, but that's football. It's over for us here, we have to accept that, ”said Deschamps, who has a lot in common with Joachim Löw. At the 2014 World Cup, France was eliminated in the quarter-finals against the German team, the revenge followed in the 2016 European Championship semi-final. After the embarrassing German qualifying round at the 2018 World Cup, France later celebrated the title. Mbappé was recognized as a young star of the tournament in Russia.

“Hold your head up, Kylian.

Tomorrow will be the first day of a new trip, ”tweeted Brazil's world star Pelé (80) on Tuesday night.

"Cheer up, these things happen to the really big ones", said the German ex-world champion Jérôme Boateng (32).

“Zero goals and a cruel end,” wrote the newspaper “Le Parisien” on the 22-year-old's EM statistics.

"Falling asleep will be difficult, but unfortunately it is the ups and downs of this sport that I love so much," wrote Mbappé, or at least someone who does this on his behalf, on Instagram and said of "immense sadness" .

Now it is important to "get up even stronger", which Deschamps had previously sworn in Bucharest.

"I think this will help us all," said the coach. Like defending champion Portugal, the world champion is now out. It is "cruel" to be eliminated on penalties. But "even if it's a disappointing moment, we stick together," said Deschamps, knowing full well what the team still has to do. Zidane's walk in the Berlin World Cup final with his head bowed past the golden cup was his last as a national player. The then 34-year-old ended his career. Mbappé is still a long way from that.