Kylian Mbappé admitted he was frustrated after missing a first-half penalty against Morocco, despite playing a decisive role in France’s 2-0 victory that secured their place in the semi-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Real Madrid superstar eventually put the disappointment behind him by producing a moment of brilliance to break the deadlock before Ousmane Dembélé added a second goal to seal France’s impressive win. While Mbappé celebrated another step toward World Cup glory, he couldn’t hide his disappointment over the penalty incident that nearly changed the course of the match.
Confusion Before the Spot Kick
Speaking after the match, Mbappé explained that the unusual sequence of events leading up to the penalty disrupted his concentration.
According to the French captain, he had already begun mentally preparing to take the kick after Ousmane Dembélé handed him the ball. However, the referee interrupted the process to inform him that the decision was still under review.
“I didn’t take the penalty well, but it was a difficult situation because there was a lot of confusion,” Mbappé said.
“Dembélé gave me the ball, and just as I was starting to focus, the referee came over and told me there was no penalty. That completely distracted me.”
The 27-year-old explained that although he has prepared for countless penalty scenarios throughout his career, this particular experience was unlike anything he had encountered before.
“I’ve imagined many different situations when preparing to take a penalty, but this was something I’d never experienced.”
The missed penalty visibly frustrated Mbappé, who immediately protested after the attempt. The lengthy delay before the kick also sparked reactions from the French bench.
Deschamps Questions Lengthy VAR Delay
France manager Didier Deschamps also expressed concern over the extended review process, believing it made an already difficult situation even more challenging for his star forward.
“It looked like the referee had already confirmed the penalty after a VAR review, but then there was another check for a possible foul,” Deschamps explained.
“They spent almost two minutes reviewing the footage. The uncertainty was the biggest problem. It simply took too long, and Kylian was already mentally prepared to take the penalty.”
Although Deschamps refused to blame the officials entirely for the miss, he acknowledged that the interruption was far from ideal.
“I’m not trying to make excuses for Kylian, but it certainly wasn’t an easy situation for him.”
Mbappé Responds Like a Champion
Rather than allowing the missed opportunity to define his performance, Mbappé responded in the best possible way. He produced a sensational goal to give France the breakthrough before Dembélé wrapped up the victory, sending Les Bleus into the World Cup semi-finals.
His resilience once again highlighted why he remains one of football’s biggest stars. Despite an early setback, Mbappé delivered when his team needed him most, keeping France’s hopes of defending their World Cup title firmly alive.
