Kylian Mbappe attributed his penalty miss in France's 2-0 World Cup quarter-final victory over Morocco to an unprecedented three-minute delay caused by a VAR review. The miss ended a streak of 15 consecutive successful penalties for France and was Mbappe's first World Cup penalty failure.
Penalty Incident Details
During the first half, Mbappe was fouled by Noussair Mazraoui, prompting referee Facundo Tello to award a penalty. However, a lengthy VAR check ensued, during which Mbappe was forced to wait and reset his run-up multiple times. The Argentine officiating team, led by Tello, upheld the decision after a protracted review. Mbappe's subsequent spot-kick was weak and easily saved by Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bono.
Speaking post-match, Mbappe explained: "The referee tells me it's a penalty, so I get ready. Then he comes to tell me there might not be a penalty after all. I lost my focus. I let myself get distracted. I've never been in a situation like this before."
Reactions and Criticism
ITV commentator Ally McCoist labeled the VAR delay as "absolute nonsense" but criticized Mbappe's execution. "You might be far from happy, but don't do this: run up with a stutter and then hit it softly right to the keeper. Run up with a bit of purpose," McCoist said. "There's no power in it. No aggression, no belief, which is incredible for a man of that talent."
Mbappe's frustration was evident when he gestured angrily at officials during the subsequent hydration break. The miss marked his first penalty failure since 2021 against Kazakhstan, excluding shootouts.
Match Outcome and Context
Despite the miss, Mbappe redeemed himself by scoring a superb opener in the 60th minute and setting up Ousmane Dembele five minutes later to seal the win. France advanced to the semi-finals for the third consecutive World Cup, where they will face the winner of Belgium vs. Spain in Dallas on July 14. The match featured an all-Argentine officiating crew, a first for the 2026 World Cup, which added to the controversy.
