Erling Haaland Criticizes Lengthy Penalty Delay as Mbappe Shines in France's World Cup Win

France secured their place in the 2026 World Cup semifinals with a commanding 2-0 victory over Morocco at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. Kylian Mbappe scored his 20th World Cup goal in 20 appearances and assisted Ousmane Dembele. However, Mbappe expressed frustration during the first half after a penalty was awarded following a clear foul by Noussair Mazraoui, but the referee, Facundo Tello, delayed the penalty kick for about four minutes while waiting for VAR confirmation. Mbappe's eventual penalty attempt was saved by goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, and he continued to complain about the extended delay.

Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, preparing for Norway's quarterfinal against England, watched the match and sympathized with Mbappe, posting on Snapchat that waiting five minutes to take a penalty was excessive. Despite the initial frustration, Mbappe later praised the referee for improving his performance in the second half, emphasizing the importance of fairness and consistent officiating. He acknowledged that referees are human and prone to mistakes but stressed that external influences should not affect their decisions.