Despite France’s 2-0 victory over Morocco in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Kylian Mbappé has not forgotten the penalty he missed against Yassine Bounou. The France captain admitted that he was distracted by a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervention just before taking his spot-kick.
With the score still 0-0 in the first half, France were awarded a penalty, giving Mbappé the opportunity to open the scoring. However, Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou perfectly anticipated the French forward’s attempt, keeping the Atlas Lions’ hopes alive.
Speaking to LCI after the match, Mbappé reflected on the incident. He explained that his concentration had been disrupted by discussions with the referee, who initially confirmed the penalty before informing him that a VAR review was still underway.
According to the French striker, the interruption came just as he was beginning his pre-kick routine. Once the penalty was finally confirmed, he felt he was unable to regain the same level of focus.
« I let myself get distracted, » admitted the France captain, joking about the unusual situation caused by the VAR procedure. He nevertheless acknowledged that his penalty was not well taken.
This explanation does not take anything away from Yassine Bounou’s performance, as the Moroccan goalkeeper produced a decisive save against one of the best strikers in the world. Bounou once again demonstrated his composure on the biggest stage, keeping the Atlas Lions in the game for much of the match.
France eventually found the breakthrough in the second half to secure a 2-0 victory and book their place in the semi-finals. However, the saved penalty will remain one of the defining moments of this quarter-final, once again highlighting Bounou’s ability to deliver in decisive moments while wearing the Morocco jersey.
