Mbappé reflects on penalty miss and France’s World Cup potential
France advances to semi-finals
France secured a 2-0 victory over Morocco in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-finals, advancing to the semi-finals. The goals came in the second half, with Kylian Mbappé breaking the deadlock in the 60th minute, followed by Ousmane Dembele doubling the lead. This win ended Morocco’s campaign, while France moved closer to the title.
Mbappé, who captained the French side, acknowledged his team’s potential but also noted that it is not yet the strongest. He emphasised that talent alone is insufficient, and the team must prove its capabilities through performance on the pitch. France is set to face either Belgium or Spain in the semi-finals on July 14.
Mbappé addresses penalty incident
During the quarter-final match against Morocco, Mbappé missed a penalty opportunity in the first half, which ended goalless. He admitted that he did not handle the situation well, attributing his distraction to confusion surrounding a VAR review. Mbappé stated that he had envisioned many scenarios to maintain focus before taking a penalty but not one involving such confusion, indicating a need to adapt.
Despite the missed penalty, France went on to win the match. Mbappé reflected on the incident, noting the complexity of the situation with the VAR review. He mentioned being told that a penalty might not be awarded and that they had to await the decision, which led to his distraction.
Morocco coach questions Mbappé’s goal
Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi questioned the sequence leading to Mbappé’s goal, suggesting there was a handball during the build-up that was not reviewed by VAR. Several Moroccan players reportedly stopped play, believing a handball had occurred. Ouahbi stated that while he was unsure if it should have been called, the handball itself was evident.
Refereeing analyst Juan Guzmán explained that the officials were correct in allowing the goal to stand. According to Guzmán, the handball was incidental and did not directly or immediately impact the goal. Furthermore, possession changed hands before Mbappé’s decisive contribution, separating the attacking phase from the earlier incident. Under the Laws of the Game, VAR only intervenes if an attacking handball directly leads to a goal or an immediate goalscoring opportunity, conditions that were not met in this instance.
Despite the controversy, Ouahbi acknowledged France’s superior performance, particularly in the first half. He noted that France maintained significant possession and created problems on the flanks and in the centre. Morocco struggled with transitions when they regained possession and lacked freshness and creativity, while France created clearer scoring opportunities.
Ouahbi expressed pride in his team’s effort but also called for objectivity and self-criticism to move forward. He believes Morocco can continue to progress and compete with elite teams, even after being eliminated by France in two consecutive World Cup campaigns, including the 2022 semi-finals.
Mbappé, who has experienced a World Cup win in 2018, a final loss in 2022, and now a third semi-final appearance, considers reaching this stage a special moment for France, especially for the more experienced players. He is currently focused on recovery ahead of the semi-final match on July 14.
Source: m.rediff.com
