Belgium’s Tielemans hails Mbappe, discusses team’s disappointment

Moscow, July 13: Belgium midfielder Youri Tielemans has praised France forward Kylian Mbappe.

"He is a great player who played a good match. When you lead 1-0 in the World Cup semifinal, you try to maintain it (keep the lead) and waste time. It's normal," Tielemans said in a press conference on Thursday, two days before taking on England in the playoff for third place.

France beat Belgium 1-0 in the 2018 FIFA World Cup semifinals on Tuesday, reports Efe.

"There was frustration from our side … We are disappointed. We fought, gave it all … We lost and lost the opportunity to reach a World Cup final," Tielemans said.

The Monaco midfielder, who played in the wins over Tunisia, England and Brazil, stressed the importance of Saturday's third-place match.

"I want to win on Saturday. The challenge now is to get the third spot and we should achieve it. Belgium has never been third," the 21-year-old said.