France captain Kylian Mbappe has attributed his missed penalty during Les Bleus’ 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-final clash against Morocco to uncertainty surrounding the decision before the spot-kick was taken. Mbappe had an opportunity to put France ahead in the opening period after he was brought down inside the penalty area by Morocco defender Noussair Mazraoui. Following a brief Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review, the referee upheld the decision, handing France a penalty.
However, Mbappe’s attempt lacked power and direction, allowing goalkeeper Yassine Bounou to make a comfortable save and keep the match goalless.
The French forward later redeemed himself in the 60th minute when he produced a brilliant curling finish to break the deadlock. Six minutes later, Ousmane Dembele doubled France’s advantage, sealing their place in the semi-finals.
Reflecting on the missed penalty, Mbappe admitted that the uncertainty around the referee’s decision affected his concentration before taking the kick.
“I shot the penalty badly, but it was tricky; there was confusion,” Mbappe said.
“The referee tells me it’s a penalty, so I got prepared. Then, he comes and tells me it may not be a penalty.”
The France skipper added that the unusual situation disrupted his focus, leading to an uncharacteristic mistake from the spot.
“I lost my focus; I’ve never been in a situation like this before,” he stated.
