Kylian Mbappé finally found something he can’t do at a World Cup. Beat a goalkeeper from 12 yards, apparently. And he picked the worst possible time to prove it.
The French superstar stepped up in the 28th minute of Tuesday’s quarterfinal against Morocco with a chance to put his team up 1-0. Noussair Mazraoui had dragged him down in the box, and Mbappé grabbed the ball like a man who knew exactly what he wanted to do. Then he did the exact wrong thing.
The kick was hit at a pace you’d expect from someone trying to gently roll a pass to a teammate. No power. No placement. Not even close to the corner. Yassine Bounou, who has built a reputation for reading penalty takers, barely had to move. He caught it like it was a routine backpass. It was the kind of penalty that makes you wonder if Mbappé forgot he was allowed to blast it.
The Penalty Virus Is Real
This World Cup has been weird from the spot. Lionel Messi, who leads the tournament with eight goals, has already missed two penalties. Now Mbappé, sitting on seven goals of his own, clearly caught whatever bug Messi has. The difference is Messi’s misses came in group play. Mbappé’s came in a knockout game, with a semifinal appearance hanging on every moment.
The delay before the kick was noticeable. Mbappé stood there holding the ball for what felt like forever, Morocco fans whistling from every section. He looked like he was trying to decide between three bad options and ended up picking a fourth that was somehow worse. Bounou read it early, dove correctly, and the moment was over before it really started.
France fans online immediately started comparing it to some of the worst penalties in World Cup history. And honestly, they might not be wrong. Of all the poorly taken spot kicks at this tournament, this one might take the crown. It was the kind of miss that gets replayed for years — not because the goalkeeper did something brilliant, but because the taker did nothing at all.
One Chance, One Disaster
Morocco had been under pressure for most of the first half. Mbappé winning that penalty felt like the breakthrough France needed to break the game open. He was the guy you’d want taking it. He’s the guy who scored in the final four years ago. He’s the guy who doesn’t seem to feel pressure in any other situation. But something about that long walk to the spot, the extended wait, the noise — it got to him.
Bounou has a history here. He saved penalties for Sevilla, saved them for Morocco, and he made himself big in the moment. But he didn’t need to be big. He just needed to stand his ground and let Mbappé beat himself. And that’s exactly what happened.
The game continued after that, and France eventually got the goal they needed in the second half. But that penalty miss is going to follow Mbappé the rest of this tournament. If France goes on to win the whole thing, it becomes a funny footnote. If they don’t, it becomes the moment everyone points to.
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