Kylian Mbappé missed a first-half penalty during France’s 2-0 World Cup quarterfinal victory over Morocco after a VAR review delayed the kick for more than 3 minutes.
After the match, the France captain said changing instructions from the referee disrupted his preparation and caused him to lose focus. However, he accepted responsibility for allowing the confusion to distract him and acknowledged that he had not taken the penalty well.
The incident sparked discussion about the length and communication of VAR reviews, but Mbappé did not accuse the officials of bias or entirely blame them for the miss.
What happened on the pitch
In the first half, Noussair Mazraoui brought down Kylian Mbappé inside the penalty area as the France captain moved past him. Referee Facundo Tello awarded France a penalty, but the kick was delayed while VAR reviewed the incident and an earlier passage of play.
The review lasted more than 3 minutes. When play resumed, Mbappé’s low penalty was saved by Yassine Bounou in the 28th minute. France remained in control despite the miss and went on to win 2-0, advancing to its third consecutive World Cup semifinal.
The long VAR delay
Mbappé said the referee initially told him that the penalty had been confirmed before later instructing him to wait while an earlier incident was reviewed. He said the changing instructions caused confusion and affected his concentration.
The VAR process lasted 3 minutes and 10 seconds before Mbappé was allowed to take the kick. Bounou saved his low effort, but Mbappé later acknowledged that he had not taken the penalty well and said players must learn to adapt to such situations.
VAR is permitted to review penalty decisions and other match-changing incidents. However, the length of the review and the communication surrounding it became major post-match talking points.
Mbappe reacts on camera
During the VAR delay, Mbappé was seen in an animated discussion with referee Facundo Tello as he waited to take the penalty. His frustration remained visible after Bounou saved the kick, although he later accepted responsibility for losing focus.
Erling Haaland also commented on the incident on Snapchat, writing that having to wait 5 minutes to take a penalty was “way too long.” Reports measured the actual interruption at slightly more than 3 minutes.
The prolonged wait became a prominent post-match talking point, particularly because Mbappé later recovered to score and help France complete a 2-0 victory.
An all-Argentine officiating team
Five non-video officials assigned to the France-Morocco quarterfinal were Argentine: referee Facundo Tello, assistant referees Juan Pablo Belatti and Gabriel Chade, fourth official Darío Herrera, and reserve assistant referee Cristian Navarro.
Reports described it as the first match at the 2026 World Cup in which all 5 of those officiating positions were filled by officials from the same country. The appointment attracted scrutiny because Argentina remained in the tournament, although no evidence established that the officials favored either team.
Fun fact: Mbappe has scored 20 World Cup goals, placing him 1 behind Lionel Messi’s record of 21.
The appointment draws scrutiny
The all-Argentine appointment prompted criticism from some supporters and media commentators before and after the quarterfinal. However, France coach Didier Deschamps publicly backed the officials and said his team’s focus was on Morocco.
France ultimately won 2-0, with Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé scoring in the second half. The result did not end the discussion about the unusual appointment or the lengthy VAR review before Mbappé’s missed penalty.
The available evidence documents controversy and allegations, but it does not establish that FIFA or the officiating team attempted to influence the match.
Egypt raises separate officiating concerns
Officiating controversy had already surfaced earlier in the tournament. Argentina was awarded penalties against Austria and Egypt, and Lionel Messi missed both attempts.
After Egypt’s 3-2 round-of-16 loss to Argentina, coach Hossam Hassan criticized the officiating, citing a disallowed Egyptian goal and a late penalty appeal involving Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian Football Association subsequently filed a formal complaint with FIFA.
FIFA Chief Refereeing Officer Pierluigi Collina later defended the disputed decisions and rejected allegations that officials had favored Argentina.
FIFA rejects allegations of bias
FIFA Chief Refereeing Officer Pierluigi Collina rejected allegations that match officials had favored Argentina. He said FIFA’s officials worked independently and warned that unsupported attacks on their integrity could lead to threats against referees and their families.
The statement that nobody could influence FIFA refereeing, including FIFA President Gianni Infantino, came from Collina—not Infantino. Collina said Infantino supported the refereeing team while allowing it to operate independently.
Collina also defended the decision to disallow Egypt’s goal, explaining that VAR had identified a foul in the buildup. He maintained that the officiating and VAR decisions in the match were correct.
Mbappé accepts responsibility
Mbappé accepted responsibility for the missed penalty, saying he had not taken it well and had allowed the confusing VAR sequence to distract him. He added that players must be able to adapt to unusual situations.
He responded on the field by curling France into the lead in the 60th minute. Ousmane Dembélé added the second goal 6 minutes later as France completed a 2-0 victory and advanced to its third consecutive World Cup semifinal.
Little-known fact: Mbappé scored a hat trick in France’s 14-0 victory over Gibraltar in November 2023, the largest win in the French men’s national team’s history.
Little-known fact: Mbappe’s hat-trick versus Gibraltar came in a 14-0 win, France’s biggest margin ever.
TL;DR
- Mbappé missed a first-half penalty against Morocco after a VAR review delayed the kick for 3 minutes and 10 seconds.
- The referee, 2 assistant referees, fourth official, and reserve assistant referee were Argentine, marking the first such 5-person appointment at the 2026 tournament.
- Erling Haaland wrote on Snapchat that having to wait 5 minutes to take a penalty was “way too long.”
- Egypt separately filed a formal complaint over the officiating in its 3-2 loss to Argentina.
- FIFA Chief Refereeing Officer Pierluigi Collina rejected allegations of bias and said match officials worked independently.
- France defeated Morocco 2-0 and will face Spain in the semifinals on July 14.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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