Mbappe blames three-minute VAR delay for tame penalty miss in France's win over Morocco

Kylian Mbappe has admitted losing his focus during a drawn-out VAR review cost him a penalty conversion in France’s 2-0 World Cup quarter-final win over Morocco in Boston, ending a run of 15 consecutive successful spot-kicks for Les Bleus.

Mbappe had skipped past Noussair Mazraoui in the first half before being brought down, with referee Facundo Tello pointing to the spot. A VAR check then left the striker waiting for over three minutes, forcing him to reset his run-up routine multiple times before the original decision was upheld. When he finally stepped up, Mbappe rolled a tame effort to his right that Bono saved with ease — the first penalty he had ever missed in his World Cup career outside of shootouts.

“I shot my penalty poorly, but it was tricky: there was a confusing mix-up,” Mbappe told reporters after the match. “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.”

Despite the miss, France progressed comfortably into the semi-finals for the third consecutive World Cup, with Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele both finding the net as Didier Deschamps’ side controlled the contest. The result also denied Mbappe the chance to extend his lead in the Golden Boot race.

Mbappe’s frustration was visible on the pitch — when Tello called a hydration break shortly after the miss, the striker gestured angrily at the officiating team. His only other missed penalty for France outside of shootouts came against Kazakhstan in 2021.

ITV commentator Ally McCoist was sympathetic to the delay but stopped short of excusing the 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,” McCoist said. “There’s no power in it. No aggression, no belief, which is incredible for a man of that talent.” McCoist described the length of the VAR review as “absolute nonsense” while insisting Mbappe must still take personal responsibility for the outcome.