France star, Kylian Mbappe has said the confusion surrounding the penalty decision was the reason he failed to convert his spot-kick in France’s quarter-final clash with Morocco at the 2026 World Cup.
The France captain had an opportunity to put Les Bleus ahead early in the match after being brought down inside the box by Noussair Mazraoui.
After a short VAR review confirmed the penalty, Mbappe stepped up but saw his weak effort saved by goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, leaving the score goalless.
In the 60th minute, Mbappe eventually got his goal, curling home a stunning effort.
Ousmane Dembele added France’s second six minutes later as they qualified for the semi-finals.
When asked about his penalty miss, Mbappe said: “I shot the penalty badly, but it was tricky, there was confusion.
“The referee tells me it’s a penalty, so I got prepared. Then, he comes and tells me it may not be a penalty.
“I lost my focus, I’ve never been in a situation like this before.”
